Store in the dust bag and the box it came with to protect your minaudière because shells can crack if it dropped or chipped if it is bumped against a hard or sharp object.

Rafe minaudières are products of thoughtful and precise craftsmanship. We work with expert artisans from the Philippines. Each minaudiere is inlaid with shells culled from the waters off neighboring islands. Trained workers sort and choose the shells according to type, such as yellow Mother-of-Pearl. After the premium shells are chosen, each bag takes at least 70 hours to make. Craftsmen peel off the outer skin of the shells and cut off all imperfections. The prepared shell pieces are inlaid onto an aluminum casing using colored adhesive. The inlay process alone takes 44 hours. The inlaid surface is machine-sanded, then buffed three times for four hours to reveal the final luster of the shell. After each buffing, the artisans apply a different component onto the surface, resulting in the perfect finish. The amount of shells required vary for different designs. The process is time consuming but the end result is worth it. A Rafe minaudière is a keepsake to cherish and collect.