Saturno Seed Earrings

Saturno is Spanish for Saturn, and these earrings carry a small hand-painted scene of stars, crescent moons and the ringed planet across a seed-shaped drop of abalone shell. They are made by hand in Taxco, Mexico, and come to us through Siesta, the Canterbury Fair Trade importer.

The figures are painted onto shell in natural tones of rust and peach. Each pair differs slightly in colour and detail, since both the shell and the painting vary from piece to piece.

The shell is set in alpaca, the copper, nickel and zinc alloy that Taxco's jewellers have long used alongside sterling silver. The town has been the centre of Mexican silverwork since the 1930s. At 48mm, these are the longest of our celestial earrings and hang well below the lobe.

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

Caring for Hand-Painted Shell

The painted surface is the most delicate part of these earrings, and it lasts longest kept dry and away from anything abrasive. Remove them before washing, swimming or applying lotion, and clean them with a soft, dry cloth. Perfume and hairspray contain alcohol and acids that can lift paint and dull shell, so let them dry before putting the earrings on. Store the pair flat and apart from other jewellery to keep the paint from being scratched. The alloy contains nickel, which matters to anyone sensitive to it.

Material: abalone shell, alpaca metal, hand-painted
Hooks: silver-plated
Drop: 48mm
Colour: brown
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.