Michelle Lenáe posts some beautiful work for sale on Etsy. Of her work, these earnings in particular caught my eye.  These long, dramatic earnings boast prasiolite stones, which is a green-quartz. Stylistically, there is a little clever mixing of metaphors here. Although the ball-chain is made of gold, it is still a ball-chain which makes me think of less refined jewelry.  But, nevertheless, the earrings culminate in a delicate, sparkly stones. Somehow the materials marry together well. I think it is the attention to detail and that the end result is clean and professional.

Other thoughts …Earrings like this are called “dusters.” This got me thinking about how descriptions affect how we feel about an item we are viewing. For my money, these earnings are dramatic and classic but it is the name of the style that captures my imagination. Once I have the word “duster” in my head, I have images of movement … the beautiful faceted gems skimming my shoulders and playing in my hair. The word and the images that it conjures up make these earrings immediately more desirable.

Michelle Lenáe has an Etsy collection that is mid-range in size. The prices are generally higher end for Etsy but, for handmade jewelry, in precious metals and unusual stones, I find her items to be moderately priced.