Star Earrings 

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art—
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—
No—yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever—or else swoon to death.

-John Keats (1795-1821)

A little more detail…

Star earrings – Twinkling luminaries stud earrings handcrafted and recycled from a 100 year old silver shilling. 

These unique Hairy Growler stud type earrings have fallen straight from the ether into my mind, to my hands and materialised from inside a silver coin?!  I recycle a silver shilling to craft these lovely simple but unusual earrings.  Asymmetrical in nature the offer an unusual, striking look.  The solid star stud is cut from the centre of the shilling star.  The smaller star sits facing forward as per normal stud type fitting earrings.  The larger outline star sits at 90 degrees sideways and looks fabulous.

For added interest, I add an ‘off-cut’ surrounding coin is included with the earrings. Handmade and completely recycled in Cambridge, UK.

Size : Approx 22 mm * 22 mm & 12mm * 12mm (smaller star)

If you have the opportunity and 3 minutes you can watch some of the stages involved in making these earrings : the LUMINARIES

Or watch it here on www.hairygrowler.com : Making the Star earrings

Stars, particularly the North Star, have historically guided travelers, making them symbols of hope, direction, and inspiration in the face of darkness or uncertainty.

Stars represent a beacon of light in times of hardship or as a guiding force leading towards a desired future or personal fulfillment. An example of this can be seen in the symbolism associated with The Star Tarot Card, representing hope, renewal, and divine guidance during challenging periods.

Across many cultures, stars are seen as influences on human destiny fate and free will, with characters either accepting or striving to defy their predestined courses.
Shakespeare’s “star-cross’d lovers” in Romeo and Juliet illustrate the tragic intersection of love and fate, where stars signify forces beyond human control.

The seemingly endless expanse of the night sky, studded with countless stars, naturally evokes a sense of eternity, the vastness of the universe, and the limits of human comprehension. They represent and give impulse to contemplate the mysteries of existence, the passing of time, and humanity’s place within the grand cosmic tapestry.
In John Keats’ “Bright Star”, the enduring and unchanging nature of stars is contrasted with the transient nature of human life, symbolizing eternal beauty and stability.

The beauty and wonder of the night sky can spark imagination and inspire artistic expression, including poetry. Stars can symbolize the creative life force, the genesis of new ideas, or the act of creation itself conveying wonder, awe, and transcendence.

In Christian tradition, the Star of Bethlehem guided the Magi to Jesus’ birthplace, representing divine guidance and the promise of salvation.