abstracted and stylized, these earrings show the calyx of a male flower with stamen. silene latifolia has male and female flowers on separate plants. though their calyx are swollen, the male is less so, which helps tell them apart. when in bloom (which happens at night) they emit a sweet smell to attract moths to pollinate them. (fun fact: male plants have more flowers on them.)

flowers hold more beauty within them, it doesn’t end at their petals. past the showy shapes and colors are the parts which make them reproduce, providing more blooms year after year. thin filaments bend to the weight of anthers, which always look so graceful to me. here, I’ve made the filaments from silver wire, hammered and formed into slight curves, at the end of these filaments are glass beads with golden centers to represent the pollen. the calyx of silene latifolia are hairy, have striations of color on them and form a lovely drop shape. since the calyx is a thing of beauty itself (and a whole other pair of earrings!), I used a simple teardrop shape here which is lightly forged. I wanted to keep the eye focused on the pollen, the life source, the little yellow grains of pollen waiting for moths to collect them and fly it to the female flowers, hopefully nearby.

these earrings are 2.5” long from the top of the ear wire and 1.5” at their widest. made of sterling silver, with a satin finish that has just enough sheen. the glass beads are faceted and clear with a hint of gold foil in the centers. the filaments move nicely over the axis, the bead facets reflect little bits of light as they dance. these earrings have a nice art deco look to them and are fun to wear.

if you smell sweet flowers at night look amongst the honeysuckle and see if you don’t find this grave flower growing nearby.