Botanical earrings from St Lucia, and why the leaf is sacred in Yoruba and Candomblé tradition
Why are botanical earrings underrated?
Earrings sit right beside your face, so they speak before you do. Most people waste that on a plain hoop.
I don’t. Anitanja’s hoops are in my ears most days, a new design coming to the shop soon, so watch her earrings. If anyone asks about mine, the answer is simple: a friend designed them, in St Lucia. Until they land, her leaf hoop earrings give you a single leaf curled round the lobe, and they’re the leaf earrings I’d start with.
Anitanja Lawaetz designs her leaf earrings and lily pad studs from the plants around her. Artisans in Bali make each pair by hand, and every pair ships from the UK. See the whole leaf and flower collection.
What are leaf earrings?
Leaf earrings are earrings shaped like a leaf, and Anitanja’s leaf hoop earrings curl a single leaf into a hoop so the veins catch the light as you turn your head. Think of a banana leaf after rain, every vein standing out, and you have the idea.
Do leaf earrings suit everyone?
Leaf earrings suit almost everyone, because a leaf is an organic curve with no hard corners, so it softens the face and works with short hair, long hair, glasses, no glasses.
What are lily pad earrings?
Lily pad earrings are round, veined studs shaped like the floating leaf of a water lily, and the lily pad studs sit flat to the lobe, which makes them easy to wear all day and in a second piercing.
Why does a lily pad float?
A lily pad floats because its leaf is full of air spaces, and unlike most leaves it breathes through pores on its upper surface, since the underside sits on the water. The water lily family has done that for a very long time. I love wearing something designed by a plant that solved its own problem so elegantly.
What goes with lily pad studs?
Lily pad studs go with almost anything: try them in the first hole with cocoa pod studs in the second, or under a leaf hoop. Browse all nature inspired earrings to build your ear.
Which botanical earrings are best for an occasion?
The coral lace earrings are the best botanical earrings for an occasion, because their open, lace like gold structure is made to be seen. Read about them in coral inspired jewellery.
Wear a statement pair when the outfit is simple. Wear studs when the outfit, or the day, is busy.
Why have leaves been worn as jewellery for thousands of years?
Leaves have been worn as jewellery for thousands of years because they stand for victory, honour and life: in ancient Greece, winners at the Pythian Games were crowned with a laurel wreath, and Olympic champions with olive.
Gold leaf wreaths have been found in ancient Greek graves, made to be worn into the afterlife. Leaf earrings are a small, everyday version of the same idea: a piece of the living world, made permanent.
Is a leaf a good symbol to wear every day?
A leaf is a good symbol to wear every day because it means growth without asking for attention. Nobody reads a leaf as showing off.
Why is the leaf sacred?
The leaf is sacred in Yoruba tradition because leaves belong to Ọ̀sanyìn, the orisha of leaves, herbs and healing, who is honoured in West Africa, Cuba and Brazil.
What does without leaves there is no orisha mean?
Without leaves there is no orisha is a saying in Candomblé houses in Brazil, kosí ewé, kosí òrìṣà, and it means that no ceremony can happen without the healing power of plants. Leaves come first.
Are leaves still used for healing in the Caribbean?
Leaves are still used for healing across the Caribbean, where bush teas made from garden herbs and leaves remain an everyday home remedy. It’s a living tradition, not a museum piece.
These are living faiths, and earrings don’t make anyone part of them. But choosing a leaf to wear every day is a small, deliberate act, and leaf earrings make it an easy one. A reminder to keep growing. A reminder to look after yourself first.
How do you care for leaf earrings and lily pad studs?
You care for leaf earrings and lily pad studs by keeping them dry, away from perfume, and stored apart so the leaf edges and veins stay crisp.
- Out before swimming, showering or sleeping.
- Perfume and hairspray first, earrings after.
- Wipe the veined surface gently with a soft dry cloth.
- Store pairs separately so the leaf edges don’t scratch.
So which piece would I choose first?
The leaf hoop earrings today, and her new hoops the moment they’re listed. Pair the leaf earrings with the lily pad studs if you’ve got the piercings.
Thanks for reading! @queenofvitality
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