Rayo Tinto Thunderbolt Earrings

Rayo is Spanish for a bolt of lightning, and these earrings take that shape in alpaca metal, made by hand in Taxco, Mexico. They are imported by Siesta, a family-run Fair Trade business in Canterbury that has worked with Mexican makers since 1983.

Each bolt is cut from alpaca, a silver-coloured alloy of copper, nickel and zinc, and two versions are available: one inlaid with iridescent abalone and one in purple. At 60mm from hook to tip, they are the longest earrings we stock from Siesta.

Taxco sits in the hills of Guerrero, where silver has been mined since the sixteenth century, and its jewellery workshops have grown up around that metal since the 1930s. Alpaca is harder than sterling silver, which keeps the sharp angles of a design like this crisp at the points.

The abalone in Siesta's jewellery is farmed in Baja California and managed by two voluntary fishing cooperatives. Siesta has been a member of BAFTS, the British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers, since the 1990s.

Caring for Alpaca Jewellery

Alpaca gradually takes on a warmer, darker tone with exposure to air, moisture and the natural oils of the skin. A dry polishing cloth restores its brightness without abrading the inlay. Keep the earrings away from perfume and water, which dull shell and speed tarnishing, and store them flat in a small pouch so the points of the bolt do not catch on other jewellery. Alpaca contains nickel and may not suit anyone with a nickel allergy.

Material: alpaca metal, abalone shell or purple inlay
Hooks: silver-plated
Drop: 60mm
Colours: abalone, purple
Made in: Taxco, Mexico

For hygiene reasons, earrings cannot be returned once removed from their sealed packaging. This does not affect your statutory rights if an item arrives faulty.