It’s not easy being green

It’s not easy being green

It’s August – that means a new birthstone! This time it’s the turn of peridot – which we’ve found has never been one of our best sellers. We think this is such a shame as we love its gorgeous green colour, however we know that like yellow it can be a difficult colour to wear. Like kermit the frog and Elphaba the witch, it seems it’s not easy being green.

 

Disco Earrings
Disco Earrings

It hasn’t alway been this way. The Egyptians LOVED green gemstones including peridot. Green was often associated with being wealthy – the Arnolfini portrait by Jan Van Eyk (pictured above) is all about this. That dress would not only have been completely lined with artic fox fur (really not ethical by todays standards), but made from highly expensive wool that was dyed a bold green – which was super expensive and laborious to create ( and involved working with lots of aged sheep wee yuck) .

Trends always seem to come around again – we’ve been seeing more of the colours that were considered difficult again –  it’s all about dopamine dressing – the practice of wearing colours that make you happy. Green is just perfect for that – it’s found everywhere in the natural world. Being out in nature is proven to boost your mood for hours after you’ve gone back inside. So we think it’s time to add a bit more green into our wardrobes.

Luxe Recycled Plectrum Earrings Collection

Luxe Recycled Plectrum Earrings Collection

Developing the style for our recycled plastic plectrum jewellery has been a culmination of over 30 years of using alternative materials in our work.

Each pair evolves as we collect plastic cards, often waiting several years to find enough to make up the design. A labour of junk collecting love.

Disco Earrings
Disco Earrings

We love our luxe plectrum earring collection – exploring our love of modern recycled materials, combined with traditional jewellery making techniques. We think it’s a marriage made in heaven (even if the old guard disagree).

Fluorite is reputed to help clear mental fog and improving balance and co-ordination, both physically and mentally.

Meticulously cut and polished from recycled plastic cards that otherwise would languish in wallets and junk drawers. Many are then embellished with a range of gemstones to add an extra bit of sparkle.

Disco Earrings

Potato Peel Jewellery

Potato Peel Jewellery

Learn the origin story of our potato peel collection – from a feature in Living Life Magazine from 2012. Which we’re over the moon with – it was fabulous to share our creative process with them. https://athenesholl.com/project/about-our-potato-peel-collection/

 

Disco Earrings
Disco Earrings
B17 Wing Keyring Commission

These potato peel pie inspired pendants are individually hand made in recycled sterling silver which ensures that no two are alike. Each piece is individually textured and bears the hammer marks from the forging process as a feature of the design.

Originally made for the inaugural Guernsey Literary festival in 2011 – learn more about the festival here. Athene has designed and handmade a small collection of these each year since, making them truly limited and unique. Made with kind permission of the co-author Annie Barrows, who has one of the pieces herself.

We’ve been delighted to be featured in several pieces of press over the years both local and national.

Fabulous Fluorite

Fabulous Fluorite

Just look at these stripey fluorite beauties – they’re finally finished AND listed on our website!

We’re in love with the bands of colour and texture in these stunning fluorite stones. They’ve been framed in a gorgeous handmade silver setting. A real labour of love, all topped off with our signature handmade textured hooks. Overall, they just made us say WOW (out loud)!

Disco Earrings
Disco Earrings

Started waaaay back, and picked up again during lockdown in 2020 – these earrings have been an ongoing project. For some reason we just couldn’t get on with them. But now these babies are finished and ready to go to their forever home. Do you have space for some fluorite babies in your life?

Fluorite is reputed to help clear mental fog and improving balance and co-ordination, both physically and mentally.

We’re over the moon!

We’re over the moon!

While we’re talking about being featured – you might’ve read in a previous newsletter that we were featured on the other side of the pond in Alyson Stanfield’s blog. (Otherwise know as Art Biz Coach).

It was SOOO exciting! We had a bit of a fan girl moment as we’ve been following Alyson for years! She’s a great business coach for artists everywhere, and we’ve picked up loads of excellent tips from her over the years.

Alyson picked out our gorgeous disco earrings design to feature on the blog – with ultra sparkly rock crystals!

Thank you Alyson x x x