For the past few summers, I've raised monarchs. I turned a photo I took of one of them into a line drawing, and have immortalized her in many pieces of jewelry!
These simple little monarch dangles have a rustic elegance to them. Two layers of thin sheets of 24k gold were applied via heat to fine silver through an ancient process called Keum Boo. Paper thin sheets of gold are cut into the butterfly pattern and applied. Cutting out these butterfly shapes is a tricky process due to how thin the sheet is and how readily it wants to be crushed beneath even the finest of scissors! Hence, the rustic and organic application look of the gold. The earrings are finished with dangly drops of hessonite garnet.