"Pillow" Earrings in Oxidized Sterling Silver - Made to Order - Ships within 30 Days

Graceful. Understated. Surprisingly Light.

• Polished to a soft sheen.

• Part of my “Everyday Sterling” series of earrings - a theme suggested by my lovely Chicago-area customer Susan. J.

• Everyday Sterling earrings are stylish, lightweight and easy to wear on a variety of occasions.

Made of:

• Oxidized sterling silver beads.

  • There are 144 beads in each earring. Each bead is stitched multiple times. Thus, the total number of stitches in this pair of earrings likely exceeds 1000.

• Oxidized sterling silver lever backs. The most comfortable sterling lever backs in the world - without exception.

What’s special about this design:

• The “Pillow” was invented in China in the early 2000s. “Pillow” is my name for the structure. I don’t know what Chinese people called it.

  In any case, my first encounter with this structure happened in Hong Kong’s Stanley Market, as I entered a small clothing shop with average-style clothes. The clothes didn’t interest me. Something else did.

  The ceiling was decorated with dozes of small beaded lanterns worked in red plastic beads. Most of the lanterns were made in the shape I call the “pillow.” Hanging from the ceiling, these beaded lanterns looked festive and bright - just the right look for Lantern Festival season. Most years, all over China, it takes place in February as part of the New Year celebrations.

  Never having seen a beaded structure like this one, I begged the sales clerk to sell me a sample. She shook her head. So I begged her to let me talk to her boss. He shook his head too. I didn’t blame him. Why should some tedious foreigner ruin his New Year display?

  I kept begging. In the end, to get rid of me, the boss went to fetch a ladder, and took 3 different structures down from the ceiling. I took out my wallet and asked the price.

  I couldn’t believe my good luck when he requested fifty cents each.

  When I returned to Chicago, I began reverse-engineering the structures…the hard way, as it turned out. Over the years, I figured out easier ways. Yet, no matter how they are made, pillows are labor-intensive structures that simply refuse to be rushed.

Dimensions:

• Just about 1 1/2” tall (including lever backs) by about 5/8” diameter.

Weight:

• Highly lightweight.

Other Information:

• Made to Order. Ships within 30 days - or your money back.