Paper and Resin Earrings - Petals to the Metal Collection

There's no question about it... paper jewelry always attracts attention. Why? Because it's unexpected! Most people would never consider paper a viable material to make fine jewelry... I'm so glad today's featured artist does just that!

pair of striped paper, resin and aluminum earrings in petal shaped clusters

Diana of Diana Ferguson Jewelry creates very special earrings, necklaces, and bracelets that range from fun and funky to elegant and sophisticated. Her New Petals to the Metal and Classic Petals to the Metal collections of dangle earrings have a definitive paper aspect, even though they are as durable and long-lasting as jewelry made completely of traditional metals.

Gustav Klimt-style dangle earrings in petal shaped clusters

Diana's petal-making process is painstaking... she creates a digital pattern or collage, prints it on cotton rag watercolor paper, cuts petal shapes, applies glossy enamel, and assembles them with anodized aluminum petals and findings to create intricate clusters. Each step of the process is performed entirely in-studio by Diana, resulting in original statement pieces.

pair of paper, resin, and aluminum petal earrings

Last winter Diana shared her Petals to the Metal journey via a Facebook event. I learned that it was the 2008 recession that led her to work with paper. Until then Diana had focused on hand-woven chain in precious metals, however, material prices went through the roof so she looked at alternative metals and came across reactive aluminum, niobium, and titanium. Once anodized, they are a showcase of color - from red to mahogany to turquoise, gunmetal, and beyond. Diana was hooked and began creating hand-woven chain with these metals as an alternative to silver and gold.

pair of brightly colored petal-shaped dangle earrings


"About six months after that, I was watching a PBS documentary called Between the Folds. It was about origami; not just cranes and the like, but huge sculptural projects. (A great program, worth watching if you ever come across it.) Well, that got me interested in working with paper. First I tried origami, which wasn't really for me, and moved on to more sculptural techniques. 

 

It wasn't long before one thing led to another and I was thinking, how can I pattern this paper to make durable, interesting jewelry? Several years of experimentation later, I hit upon the more or less final iteration of Petals to the Metal, combining both the reactive metals and sculpted, glazed paper. It's a very happy marriage. I haven't looked back since!"

pair of abstract dangle earrings composed of paper and resin petal shapes

If you prefer a simpler look, Diana creates earrings that are composed of only anodized petals. How pretty is this rose pink pair!

pair of rose pink aluminum dangle earrings

Now about the North American giveaway [it has ended]: The winner will receive a 2-inch pair of Petals to the Metal earrings ($88.00 value) in the winner’s choice of colorway/pattern. She or he will select a pair from the New Petals to the Metal or the Classic Petals to the Metal collection.

colorful pendant composed of petal shapes dangling on curved silver necklace

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below. Note that Blogger does not allow me to see the email address you type into the form with your name, so you will need to include an email address within your comment. If you are concerned about spam, type it this way: janedoe at gmail dot com.

turquoise and gold circle paper and resin necklace

This giveaway is also underway on Instagram. Enter at one or both places by the end of Saturday, November 4, 2017. The winner will be announced on this post and on the Instagram giveaway photo as soon as she or he has been notified. Good luck!

 
Diana Ferguson Jewelry is on Instagram and Facebook.

Congratulations to the winner, makkokaze!

This post is sponsored by Diana Ferguson Jewelry.


Ann Martin
Ann Martin

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Comments

  1. Ann, thank you for the lovely article. I'm looking forward to making someone a very special pair of earrings!

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  2. Lovely earrings: colorful and unique. Thanks for the chance.
    jslbrown2009 at aol dot com

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  3. Sorry for the repost...forgot my email addy....

    These are beyond gorgeous. Thank you for sharing the work of this very talented artisan.

    cockermama at gmail dot com

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  4. Sharlee at Mac dot com thanks you for this interesting article on one of my favorite artists. Diana’s designs always delight. Her jewelry is a joy to wear.

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  5. Stunning and original. Quite a complicated process to achieve. Love the black and white patterned on the New Petals to the Metal site.

    ksukeena at yahoo dot com

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  6. Diane does such beautiful work. Hard to believe from the photos that it starts from paper! Thanks for counting me in. debbiesther at gmail.com

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  7. Incredible work of art!
    jolea dot 1994 at gmail dot com

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  8. I love your earrings! I like the combination of the paper and the shiny.

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  9. These look amazing! Thanks for running the giveaway, and good luck to everyone!

    arkadynovack at aol dot com

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  10. Oooooooooohhh so beautiful! Littledoedreams@gmail.com

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  11. Tese earrings are absolutely gorgeous. Kudos to the artist. What a talent!!!!! Thank you for the giveaway and good luck to all. retiredandlovingit at live dot com

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