Buying Guide, Style Guides

Anna-Karin Karlsson rimless sunglasses: The Claw and the Nest, Crystal Nest, Chain Nest and Crystal Meringue

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Buying Guide, Style Guides

Anna-Karin Karlsson rimless sunglasses: The Claw and the Nest, Crystal Nest, Chain Nest and Crystal Meringue

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The rimless Anna-Karin Karlsson frames are the lightest things the house makes and, in their way, the most radical: the lens is the frame, drilled and held by the temples, so what you see is a shape of tinted glass and a claw, a chain of crystals, a length of chain. The Claw and the Nest in Round, Octagonal 2.0 and Cat 2.0, the Crystal Nest Triangle at 23 g, the Chain Nest Octagonal and the half-rim Crystal Meringue: 8 colourways at Coveti from $1,560 to $3,240.

“Crafted from 100% Japanese titanium. The claw temple design is cast from a mold that has been meticulously hand-carved to perfection by one of Japan’s most renowned eyewear masters,” the house writes on every Claw product page.

Key facts

  • 8 rimless and half-rim colourways at Coveti, $1,560 to $3,240
  • The Claw and the Nest Round: 162 mm, 41 g; Octagonal 2.0: 144.4 mm, 36 g; Cat 2.0: 146.5 mm, 44 g; all Japanese titanium, made in Japan
  • Crystal Nest Triangle: diamond-shaped lenses on crystal-set titanium temples, 142.5 mm, 23 g, the lightest frame in the house
  • Chain Nest Sun Octagonal: octagonal lenses on chain-link steel temples, 137.3 mm, 35 g, made in Italy
  • Crystal Meringue: a half-rim of Swarovski crystals under a diamond-cut, swirl-edged lens, 142 mm, 37 g
  • Rimless frames take low to moderate prescriptions with a thin, tough lens; an optician drills and mounts them

The Claw and the Nest

Three lens shapes on the same claw temples: Round, the purest and the widest at 162 mm; Octagonal 2.0, the modern one at 36 g; Cat 2.0, the winged evening one. In Black Grey the claws are black and the lens grey; in Gold Blush, Gold Azure and Gold Violet the claws are gold and the lens tinted to the name.

Crystal Nest and Chain Nest

The Crystal Nest Triangle sets Swarovski crystals along the titanium temples and cuts the lens to a diamond, 23 g. The Chain Nest Octagonal hangs an octagonal lens on chain-link steel temples plated in gold and white gold. Both are frames to wear with the hair tucked behind the ears, so the temples show.

Crystal Meringue

Not quite rimless: a lower rim of Swarovski crystals under a lens whose edge is diamond-cut into a swirl, the designer’s fairytale of meringue and monumental architecture, 37 g. The swirled edge is the point, so wear the hair off the face.

Prescription

A rimless frame puts the drill holes in the lens itself, so it suits low to moderate prescriptions and needs a thin, tough lens material; the Crystal Meringue’s swirl cut has to be reproduced by the optician. The full-rim frames take the strong prescriptions.

The frames

1. Chain Nest Sun Octagonal Sunglasses in White Gold Grey, $1,560

Rimless octagonal lenses on chain-link stainless steel temples plated in 24K gold and white gold. 137.3 mm across the front and 35 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

2. The Claw & the Nest Cat 2.0 Sunglasses in Gold Violet, $2,170

Rimless, winged cat-eye lenses on the claw temples, a shape that sits somewhere between couture and comic book. 146.5 mm across the front and 44 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

3. The Claw & the Nest Octagonal 2.0 Sunglasses in Gold Azure, $2,170

Rimless octagonal lenses on the hand-carved claw temples. 144.4 mm across the front and 36 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

4. Crystal Nest Triangle Sunglasses in White Gold Green, $2,320

Rimless, diamond-shaped lenses on crystal-set Japanese titanium temples. 142.5 mm across the front and 23 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

5. Crystal Meringue Sunglasses in Gold, $3,240

A titanium frame with diamond-cut, swirl-edged lenses and a lower rim of hand-set Swarovski crystals, the designer’s fairytale of meringue and monumental architecture. 142 mm across the front and 37 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

Frequently asked questions

Which Anna-Karin Karlsson sunglasses are rimless?

The Claw and the Nest (Round, Octagonal 2.0, Cat 2.0), the Crystal Nest Triangle and the Chain Nest Sun Octagonal; the Crystal Meringue is a half-rim.

What is the lightest Anna-Karin Karlsson frame?

The Crystal Nest Triangle at 23 g, then the Chain Nest at 35 g and the Octagonal 2.0 at 36 g.

Can rimless sunglasses take prescription lenses?

Yes, for low to moderate prescriptions, with a thin, tough lens material; an optician drills and mounts the lenses.

Are rimless frames fragile?

The titanium temples are not; the lens edge is the exposed part. Store the frame in its case and take it off before swimming.

Which rimless frame suits a round face?

The Octagonal 2.0 and the Cat 2.0, which add angles. The Round suits a square jaw.

How much are the rimless frames?

$1,560 to $3,240 at Coveti.

Read next

The Claw family Prescription lenses Titanium frames Cat-eye frames

More Anna-Karin Karlsson guides

Every Anna-Karin Karlsson page by Coveti’s fashion editor Gemma Deeks: Is it a luxury brand?, How to style, Brands like Anna-Karin Karlsson, The edit, Who is Anna-Karin Karlsson?, History timeline, Price guide, Where to buy, Sale, Review, Real vs fake and dupes, Materials and care, Glossary, Who wears it, vs Schiaparelli, Size and fit guide, Prescription lenses, Face shape guide, New arrivals 2026, Men’s sunglasses, The Claw family, The panther frames, Crystal frames, Lion and Lioness, Diamond and limited editions, Cat-eye, Round, Aviators and pilots, Oversized, Acetate, Titanium, Gold, Black, Tortoise and caramel, Pink and red, Green and purple.

Sources and method

Checked on 19 September 2026 by Gemma Deeks, fashion editor at Coveti. Product facts, the materials, stones, plating, lens supplier, dimensions, weights and country of manufacture, are the brand’s own product-page text; counts, prices and price ranges are Coveti’s live catalogue on that date and move with stock; the designer’s biography and the wearers come from the brand’s own pages and the press articles listed below, each read on the date above. Where a claim could not be checked against one of these it was left out, and where the fitting room is giving its own advice the page says so.

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About Gemma Deeks

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