Zygocircus Pentagonus Earrings in Silver & Titanium: the top layer is low tarnish sterling silver and the bottom layer of each earring is pure titanium. Joined with stainless steel fasteners and low tarnish sterling silver spacers and hung on hand made niobium ear wires.

Zygocircus Pentagonus Earrings

5.4 x 3.6 x 0.6 cm
2.1 x 1.4 x 0.2 inch

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

The microscopic marine creature namesakes of these earrings were the inspiration for the layers of low tarnish sterling silver and pure titanium.

The thin layers keep the earrings lightweight and the stainless steel fasteners remind us that humankind’s activities on land affect even the tiniest of sea creatures.

Inspired by the microscopic sea creature, made of low tarnish sterling silver & pure titanium. Joined with stainless steel fasteners, hung on niobium ear wires.
Back View of the Zygocircus Pentagonus Earrings

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. I textured, burnished and hand finished each curve and cutout by hand. The niobium ear wires are non-allergenic.

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

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 Zygocircus Pentagonus Haeckel.
Zygocircus Pentagonus Haeckel drawn by Ernst Haeckel in 1887.

See the earrings in person in one of 9 European cities beginning in the Netherlands in Nov 2024 through Jan 2026 as part of the traveling exhibit + sale “Alegría, jewels” organized by artist and educator Luis Acosta of the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam