SHERRY CORDOVA JEWELRY

Zygospyrida Ceratospyris Preyeri earrings inspired by the microscopic sea creature of the same name. Top layer of this the earring on the left is made from low tarnish sterling silver. Bottom layer is made from pure grade 2 titanium. The 2 layers are joined with stainless steel fasteners. The earrings on the right is made of the same shapes with the materials swapped front to back.

Zygospyrida Ceratospyris Preyeri Earrings

6.7 x 4.5 x 0.7 cm
2.6 x 1.8 x 0.3 inch

Low Tarnish Sterling Silver, Titanium, Stainless Steel, Niobium
Hand drawn, CAD modified, laser cut & hand sawn, hand finished

INSPIRED BY
The microscopic marine creature namesake of this pair of earrings was the inspiration for the layers of low tarnish sterling silver and pure titanium.

The thin layers keep the earrings lightweight while the stainless steel fasteners remind us that humankind’s activities on land affect even the tiniest of sea creatures. The niobium ear wires are hypoallergenic.

TECHNIQUES
I modified the creature as I redrew the microscopic creature by hand creating multiple layers; based on the drawing below. I digitized the new hand drawing, modified it again in CAD and sent the design to a laser cutter where it was cut in 30 gauge pure Titanium. The low tarnish sterling silver was hand sawn and shaped. I textured each layer then burnished and hand finished each curve and cutout.

Learn more about how my radiolarian designs are created by watching the short video

Zygospyrida Ceratospyris Preyeri drawing by Ernst Haeckel
Hand drawing by Ernst Haeckel in 1887 as part of his studies from the Voyage of the HMS Challenger. The microscopic sea creature is a Zygospyrida Ceratospyris Preyeri
Back view of Zygospyrida Ceratospyris Preyeri earrings inspired by the microscopic sea creature of the same name. Top layer of this the earring on the left is made from low tarnish sterling silver. Bottom layer is made from pure grade 2 titanium. The 2 layers are joined with stainless steel fasteners. The earrings on the right is made of the same shapes with the materials swapped front to back.
Back view of Zygospyrida Ceratospyris Preyeri earrings. The low tarnish sterling silver back layer is facing up on the left, and the titanium back layer faces up on the right.

MARINE FAUNA MEETS INDUSTRIAL
The contemporary art jewelry of Sherry Cordova spotlights anthropogenic changes in our seas. Sherry deconstructs and modifies drawings of microscopic marine fauna into layers. She developed a design language to minimize environmental impact while merging technology, beauty, wearability, and a respect for tiny marine creatures. Industrial stainless steel fasteners rejoin layers of her pieces into metallic creatures. Each design reminds the wearer and the viewer that our actions and choices affect even the smallest and most remote life forms.