Stellar Crescent Moon Earrings

These crescent moon earrings are made by hand in Taxco, Mexico, from alpaca metal inlaid with iridescent abalone and black shell. They come to us through Siesta, a family-run Fair Trade importer in Canterbury that began in 1983 as a market stall selling crafts and jewellery from Mexico and Guatemala.

Taxco, in the state of Guerrero, has mined silver since the sixteenth century and became the centre of Mexican silver jewellery in the 1930s. Its workshops use both sterling silver and alpaca, a silver-coloured alloy of copper, nickel and zinc that is harder than silver and takes a bright polish.

The crescent is set with abalone, whose nacre shifts between green, blue and violet as it moves, against a band of black shell. Siesta's abalone comes from Baja California, where it is farmed and managed by two voluntary fishing cooperatives. Each inlay is cut from natural shell, so the colour and markings differ a little from one pair to the next.

Siesta has been a member of BAFTS, the British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers, since the 1990s, and buys directly from producers it has worked with and visited for many years.

How to Care for Your Abalone Earrings

Abalone is composed mostly of calcium carbonate, the mineral that forms chalk and limestone, and the acids in perfume, hairspray and cleaning products will slowly dull its lustre. Put the earrings on once perfume has dried, and remove them before bathing or swimming. Alpaca darkens gradually with exposure to air and moisture, and a soft polishing cloth will bring back the shine. Liquid silver dips are best avoided, as they are strong enough to etch the shell. Alpaca contains nickel, so these earrings may not suit anyone with a nickel allergy.

Material: alpaca metal, abalone shell, black shell
Hooks: silver-plated
Drop: 20mm
Colour: black
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.