Brief Summary…

• Recycled silver Victorian shillings
• Hand carved and engraved details
• Hand cut from the shilling with traditional jewellers piercing saw.
• Free engraving of special initials on reverse
• Hairy Growler sterling silver earring wires
• Size :  22mm * 18mm
• Symbolism: Mystery, Wisdom, Intuition, Protection and fun
• Handcrafted & Recycled in Cambridge
• made with Love

A little more detail…

I have used a pair of lovely Georgian silver shillings as the raw material for these unique earrings. I have freehand sketched the owls on to the flattened silver coins. I then carefully hand engrave the feathers, stars, eyes, everything! I then chop them out with my favourite little jewellers saw.

The little moon and star are cut from an 1960’s threepence ‘thrupney bit’ coin. Complete with the finest sterling silver earwires. Each pair is completely unique, contemporary, ethical and beautiful. They are presented complete with the sterling silver ‘off-cuts’ which beautifully demonstrate the origins of the owls and connect them to their interesting, recycled material history. Sizes : Approx 22mm * 18mm

Owls, with their silent flight, ghostly appearance, and haunting screeches, have woven themselves into the fabric of folklore and artistic expression, appearing across cultures as a potent and often contradictory symbol.

Mystery and the Unknown: The barn owl’s nocturnal habits and silent flight make it a creature of the shadows, evoking a sense of mystery, the hidden, and the unseen. It can represent the hidden aspects of the psyche or the deeper truths that lie beyond conscious awareness.

Wisdom and Intuition: Despite its association with darkness, owls, particularly the barn owl, are often linked to wisdom, knowledge, and intuition, according to Wild Gratitude. Their ability to navigate the darkness and locate prey based on sound alone can symbolize the power of inner knowing, trusting intuition, and finding clarity in challenging situations.

Death and Transformation: In some traditions, the barn owl’s ghostly appearance and association with the night have connected it with death and the underworld. However, this connection isn’t always negative. In some contexts, it can also signify transformation, regeneration, and the cycle of life and rebirth.

Protection and Guardianship: The barn owl’s silent hunt and its role as a nocturnal predator can be interpreted as a symbol of protection and guardianship, especially against hidden dangers in the dark, notes

Gwen Harwood’s acclaimed poem “Barn Owl,” for instance, uses the act of a child shooting a barn owl as a powerful symbol of the loss of innocence and the harsh realities of facing death and consequences. The owl’s silent flight and its eventual suffering highlight the vulnerability of nature in the face of human actions, and the irreversible nature of lost innocence.

The barn owl, therefore, is a creature that holds multiple, sometimes conflicting, layers of meaning in the realm of poetry and symbolism. It can inspire verses about
the secrets of the night and the wisdom gleaned from silence. The transition between life and death and the transformative power of experience. The hidden dangers or unseen truths that require keen perception and intuition to navigate.