Oval Sunrise Earrings

Handmade paper and brass drops, hand-dyed and coated in resin to make them waterproof and durable. Sterling silver earwires. About 2 inches long.

The paper has been cast onto the metal from a pulp of plant fiber and water, layer by layer, to form a tight paper skin around the piece. It's then hand-dyed, sculpted into shape, and sealed with a layer of resin to make it waterproof and durable.

 VERSO Jewelry - by Melanie Brauner, Oregon - is made from metal forms cast in handmade paper. The metal is dipped into a pulp of water and finely beaten paper fibers from a plant called abaca. The fibers cling to the metal and shrink as they dry. A tight, translucent paper skin is built up on the form over successive dips. The concept is the same as making a sheet of handmade paper, but around a three-dimensional form, and by building up thin layers over the course of several days. 

After a translucent layer of paper has built up, the forms are hand-dyed, and finally sealed with resin to make them waterproof and durable. 

The pieces are inspired by details found in the oceans and forests of the Pacific Northwest, like seeds, petals, dewdrops, flowers, the curves of a river, ferns, leaves, tide pools.....