earrings
On the set of the new season of "And just like that..." Cynthia Nixon (Miranda Hobbes) wears my handmade "occhioni tondi" earrings while walking with Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie Bradshaw) in the park. The earrings appeared, among others media, in a recent Harper’s Bazaar UK article.
Cynthia Nixon wearing my handmade occhioni tondi earrings on the set of And Just Like That… season 2! Image:©2022Harper’sBazaarUK
Using household items like vinegar, lemon, sea salt, and water to handcraft jewelry is nothing new. To make unique pieces, it’s enough to use some imagination… and have a basic knowledge of jewelry-making. These “riflessi blu” earrings – inspired by reflections on the water surface - are handmade using several products that I found in my house. The process takes two to three days, but it’s worth the wait. What do you think?
Riflessi blu earrings handcrafted in Maddalena Bearzi’s studio, Los Angeles, California, using different techniques and a patina made with household items
One of the things that I like the most about jewelry-making is to create pieces that are totally original and one of a kind. I often oxidize silver, bronze, and copper and add patinas to produce exclusive pairs of earrings, rings, cuffs, or necklaces. I also use everyday household materials like sea salt and fine salt, eggs, water, vinegar, etc. to change colors and/or add texture to a specific piece. The result? Pieces that are always different from each other (and fun to make!)
Model Frances wear necklace and earrings from the costellazione collection. These jewels are made by hand using different techniques, including oxidation.
Got ketchup? Perfect!
Now, you can use it to clean your favorite jewelry. Ketchup polishes well brass and even bronze jewelry that has darkened over time. How to use it? Add a small spoon of ketchup on a clean cloth. Rub the piece until it shines, then rinse well and dry. This is another eco-friendly way to clean your jewels with something that you already have at home.
Continue to follow this blog for other sustainable techniques to keep your jewelry pieces like new!
The handmade and one of a kind “Riccio di mare” earrings can be easily cleaned with ketchup! Need a pair? check our online shop here
I care deeply about the environment, so when I started making metal jewelry I was careful to maintain ethical and environmentally-friendly practices.
Of course, using eco-friendly techniques for cleaning my pieces – and those of my friends and clients - became a natural choice and I learned different ways to polish and keep handmade jewelry beautiful and flawless without harming the environment.
For cleaning jewelry, baking soda is environmentally-friendly, low-cost and at the top of my list. One can do pretty much anything with it, including making jewelry look like new! This powder is slightly abrasive so it needs to be used with caution and only on the right jewelry. It works well with metals like silver and gold with a matte finish. Gently polish the piece rubbing it with a warm, damp cloth that has been sprinkled with baking soda; rinse well and dry the jewelry, et voila’…the tarnished piece will come back to life.
these handmade Maddalena Bearzi jewelry pieces with a matte finish can be easily cleaned with baking soda. Model and actress Frances Pearson wears ba-lena necklace in silver and gold, a pair of marea earrings in bronze and a relitto ring. The silk shirt is Lotte.99.
Responsible fashion is in this year: Change accordingly!
Acting to protect our natural resources is key considering the environmental issues we are facing. Even fashion must be part of helping the Planet by using more sustainable & ethical materials, adding giving-back initiatives that have an impact, and upholding traditional and ethical techniques. Humble and sustainable materials can be handcrafted in unique pieces: the only thing we need is the power of our imagination!
The handcrafted and organic-looking pieces on actress and model Frances Pearson show how sustainable materials are made into one of a kind jewels in our collections