Description
Waratah Dreaming – Earrings
These limited edition botanically inspired earrings feature intricately hand-sawn silhouettes of a waratah flower soldered into a teardrop shaped silver frame. This silhouette was sketched from the native Australian species Telopea Speciosissima of the red variety. These two are larger statement earrings but also elegant and subtle, they are lightweight and extremely comfortable to wear.
The name waratah comes from the Eora Aboriginal people, the original inhabitants of the Sydney area. It means ‘red flowering tree. Aborigines used seed of waratah as a source of food and nectar-rich flowers for the preparation of sweet beverages. Branches of waratah were used for the preparation of baskets in the past. Waratah (Telopea) is an Australian -endemic genus of five species of large shrubs or small trees, native to the southeastern parts of Australia (New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania). The most well-known species in this genus is Telopea speciosissima, which has bright red flowers and is the NSW state emblem since the 1962.
These were incredibly enjoyable to create, and very time consuming. Drilling, Layering, hand-stamping, sawing, texturing, soldering, and polishing are just some of the steps taken to bring it to life. Each process done with care and accuracy to create a piece that will last a lifetime. Created in recycled sterling silver, this precious metal has been oxidised (blackened) and then lightly polished but left with a satin shine. Each earring is hand-cut with a tiny sawblade and therefore slightly unique and never perfectly matched. I make sure each earring is as close to a mirror image of its other half in design as possible.
Dimensions – Each earring measures approximately 32mm high X 25mm wide (at its highest and widest points) Created entirely from reclaimed and recycled Sterling Silver, The Gauge (thickness) of the silver is 1mm making the piece strong and durable.
The ear hooks are also hand-fabricated from sterling silver.
Made with lots of love, heart and soul.
These are ‘ready to go’ so please enjoy prompt shipping! This piece is part of a limited edition series where I have duplicated this design. Each will be slightly different, but all to a high standard.
RGSilver products always come packaged, which is also perfect for gift giving.
The earrings also have my Makers Mark and a Sterling Silver 925 Hallmark on the reverse of one of the pairs.
(The model in the images is the Beautiful Zara Wilson)
Two well-known Dreamings about the Waratah focus upon the tragic consequences of lost love. In one , two Wonga pigeons live together in a rich, lush forest. One day the female bird notices her mate is no longer by her side, so she searches for him, calling out for him. She cannot find him, so in a panic she flies above the canopy of the forest where a hungry and ever-vigilant hawk sees her and, swooping down, grabs her and clutches her in his sharp talons. She manages to wriggle free and plummets down, finally falling onto a white Waratah blossom, her blood staining its petals to red. From then on, Waratahs are generally red; it is very rare to find one that is white.
In the other tragic Dreaming , a young woman loves a hunter who leaves the camp daily in search of food. She would always wait for his return upon a hill, from which she could see his arrival. She also wore a bright red cloak made from the red tail feathers of a black cockatoo and this would be the first thing the hunter would see in the distance when he got close to camp. One day he did not return and she remained there in hope until she died. Her body was transformed into the Waratah, its red colouring symbolising her cloak, and the stall stem upon which it stands as well as its serrated leaves are said to represent the young warrior’s spear.
Excerpt taken from Nativessymbols.info/waratah
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