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I Made A Wearable Fairytale Out Of Silver And Insects
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I Made A Wearable Fairytale Out Of Silver And Insects

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I don’t think of myself as a “jewelry maker”. I think of myself as a “storyteller”, only those stories are written in silver. It took me 2 months to finish this jewelry piece. I made it using beetles’ plates, butterflies, and silver (+honey, stones, glass). Making jewelry is a form of art to me. A way I tell stories to other people, a way I show how I see the world. The insects, which I use in my work, have never been killed for jewelry reasons. I have the highest respect towards nature’s creations and try to show its beauty to other people.

Many of my works are inspired by an insect. As a naturalist, I mostly appreciate the fact, that these are not just artistic impressions of insects, but each work is based on a real specimen. To me it is like capturing the essence of something, that was once a magnificent creature – nature’s perfect little machine. The creatures, so often as beautiful as jewels after preserving in precious metal become a real jewelry and a form of art. During the process of a hand covering with silver, the insect’s body is completely annihilated, leaving only a perfect cast, that to me is like a canvas to a painter.

Each piece is totally handmade, each piece took days to finish (sometimes weeks) as the whole process is delicate and time-consuming. 

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    Jewelry triptych photoshoot images by: Quality Pixels Photography (Marcin & Sylwia Ciesielski)

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    Iwona Tamborska

    Iwona Tamborska

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    Iwona Tamborska

    Iwona Tamborska

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    This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

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    Kahlo Smith
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like that the atmosphere adds so much character to the pieces (which are already amazing)! There's an awesome mystical gothic quality that fits right in with the quills and books <3

    Flora
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's beautiful. I just felt bad for the butterfly at the beginning. So how do you get butterflies for your jewelry if they are not breed to be killed? It is a serious question, I am curious :) In a certain way it is the most expensive mummification process :)

    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hi Flora - thank you for asking :) I get butterflies from different places. This one in particular was found dead by the road - it must have been hit by a car. There are also 2 butterfly museums near the city I live. I am friends with the owner of the first one. Sometimes he gives me specimens that are old, damaged somehow, etc. The second Museum has alive butterflies. Those butterflies live (after transforming from a pupa) for about 2 weeks and then just die naturally. So they have those for sale sometimes. I can use somehow damaged specimens, because after the process of covering with silver - I just work with metal. And I can do almost anhything I want with metal - fix it, change shape, etc.

    Load More Replies...
    Paige Dillon
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh my god these are beyond beautiful. These look like something out of a movie or something. Truly magnificent.

    H.I.
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They are Sooo beautiful!! I would definitely wear them... Minus the insect... I would feel horrible for wearing an insect.. Even if it has died naturally.

    Kahlo Smith
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like that the atmosphere adds so much character to the pieces (which are already amazing)! There's an awesome mystical gothic quality that fits right in with the quills and books <3

    Flora
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's beautiful. I just felt bad for the butterfly at the beginning. So how do you get butterflies for your jewelry if they are not breed to be killed? It is a serious question, I am curious :) In a certain way it is the most expensive mummification process :)

    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hi Flora - thank you for asking :) I get butterflies from different places. This one in particular was found dead by the road - it must have been hit by a car. There are also 2 butterfly museums near the city I live. I am friends with the owner of the first one. Sometimes he gives me specimens that are old, damaged somehow, etc. The second Museum has alive butterflies. Those butterflies live (after transforming from a pupa) for about 2 weeks and then just die naturally. So they have those for sale sometimes. I can use somehow damaged specimens, because after the process of covering with silver - I just work with metal. And I can do almost anhything I want with metal - fix it, change shape, etc.

    Load More Replies...
    Paige Dillon
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh my god these are beyond beautiful. These look like something out of a movie or something. Truly magnificent.

    H.I.
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They are Sooo beautiful!! I would definitely wear them... Minus the insect... I would feel horrible for wearing an insect.. Even if it has died naturally.

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