Stunning Handmade Reticulated Sterling with Heather Post Earrings. DianaHDesigns Art Jewelry. One-of-a-kind, necklace available to match.

Handmade Made of reticulated silver, sterling silver, heather Length: 2 3/8 inches Width: 1/2 inches Push back closure Description Modern Scottish Earrings have Architectural flair! Truly one-of-a-kind, I made these contemporary earrings with reticulated silver and heather! Heather is an icon of Scotland and is found widely in the Scottish Highlands. A variety of processes as well as a variety of unique materials combine in this awesome piece of jewelry! The two main "ingredients" in this pair of earrings is (yes, heather like the plant that thrives on poor, acid soils!). While in Scotland years ago, I bought a piece of compressed Heather, knowing one day it would grow up to be an awesome piece of jewelry! Well it's been six years ago since I bought that and it is finally now all grown up! I admit I wrestled with whether or not to sell this as it is a remembrance of a wonderful trip through England, Ireland and Scotland....but I decided I would! The compressed heather was cut into squares and set with prongs on small reticulated silver square backplates that have sterling silver posts soldered on. The heather has gorgeous shades of teal blue, deep navy and purple and care was taken to cut out two pieces that complimented each other well. The sterling silver posts are naturally hypo-allergenic with a large and secure wing nut to keep them in place. From this top component I have attached gorgeous long slender rectangle shapes that I cut out of reticulated silver. These shapes are gorgeous with their incredible texture and gently undulating surface. A rich dark patina was applied which brings the gorgeous texture of the reticulation to life! Reticulating silver is a very organic process, with no two pieces turning out the same. Although I tend to be very geometric and modern in my work, with well-thought out designs, I find that the process of reticulation somewhat forces me to “let go” and let the process lead me (to a certain extent!) where it wants to go….it is a very Zen-like experience as you absolutely can not have a predetermined outcome…you just need to trust that you have the skill to not melt your metal into a molten pool of hot liquid! Interested in learning more about Reticulation? If so, read on…and if not just know that as time consuming as it can be, I had a lot of fun doing it and hope if you choose to buy these, that you will have a lot of fun wearing them! I have used "Reticulation Silver" sheet metal in this design, which is an alloy of 80% fine silver and 20% copper. Sterling silver is an alloy of silver (92.5%) and copper (7.5%) so the silver I used for this pair of earrings has a slightly higher copper content. My metal has been “prepped” for the reticulation process itself by completing a variety of steps. Repeatedly heating and quenching and pickling is first. When I have done this multiple times, the copper eventually becomes concentrated at the core of the metal and is surrounded by a skin of fine silver (99.999). At this point my metal is considered ready to be torched with a very hot flame. The hot flame brings the copper core (which has higher melting temperature than silver) to a melting point, creating a liquid contained within a silver skin. This coupled with the direction and path of the flame I am placing on my metal creates various patterns and textures. They are all truly one-of-a-kind and unique! The resulting patterns can look like textured or wrinkled fabric, something I am particularly drawn to, or can even look like a relief map of expansive mountain ranges! It’s a tricky process that requires skill and concentration as there is only about 100 degrees or so between the melting points for the metal skin and the interior…in other words it’s pretty easy to burn a hole right through the sheet of metal if you are not careful! Like most silversmithing techniques, reticulation takes practice. I had the good fortune to study this process under a world renowned jewelry artist and teacher by the name of Harold O’Connor early in 2020. To him I give my repeated thanks and gratitude as I am very comfortable now with the technique and find him to be inspirational. Google him if you are interested in checking out his work! It is amazing!! These earrings are as contemporary and modern as they organic and casual! They certainly are fun and easy to wear and sure to bring lots of complements! They will easily take you from day into evening as they are as wonderful with a t-shirt and a pair of jeans as they would be in the evening with a little black dress! . These earrings are entirely made by hand by me in my studio. The earrings measure 2 3/8" from top to bottom and 1/2" in width. They are lightweight and easy to wear. This is a one-of-a-kind pair. You will love wearing them...and won't ever see them on anyone else! A necklace to coordinate is shown in the last picture and available in a separate listing. Gift Wrap as shown is free! It is just me working in my studio, but my commitment is to ship within 1 business day (Monday - Friday) of receiving the order. I ship from Florida, and time in transit will vary depending upon where in the US you are located. I ship USPS with tracking info, which gets to most places within 3 - 5 business days. Priority Mail is available at check-out as an upgrade if you would like it faster! Exchanges I want you to be happy with your purchase. Each piece is handmade by me in my home studio in Sarasota, Florida. If you need to exchange your purchase, please call or email me to discuss. Please know that I am not able to offer refunds on items custom made to order. Thank You!