SHERRY CORDOVA JEWELRY

Zygospyrida Ceratospyris Preyeri Brooch inspired by the microscopic sea creature of the same name. Top layer of this 2 layer pin 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.

Zygospyrida Ceratospyris Preyeri Brooch

6.7 x 4.6 x 0.7 cm
2.6 x 1.8 x 0.3 inch

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

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

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

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

See the brooch 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. 

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
Pin stem view of Zygospyrida Liriopyris Hexapoda Brooch inspired by the microscopic sea creature of the same name. Bottom layer is made from pure grade 2 titanium and the front layer (facing down) is low tarnish sterling silver. The 2 layers are joined with stainless steel fasteners.
Pin stem view of Zygospyrida Liriopyris Hexapoda Brooch inspired by the microscopic sea creature of the same name. Bottom layer is made from pure grade 2 titanium and the front layer (facing down) is low tarnish sterling silver. The 2 layers are joined with stainless steel fasteners.

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.