I have a soft spot for old buttons, specifically carved shell buttons. I love the digging and picking and sorting through old dusty collections in jars, marveling at their intricate designs, and wondering at their past lives. And the iridescence!!! These buttons are a collaboration of sorts between humans and nature- organic pearlescent shell, collected and carved into tiny functional, yet beautiful, objects. To me, they’re the perfect marriage of function and beauty. Infused with history, each one is a tangible trace of time gone by, and yet, their inherent beauty remains. It’s always an honor to bring one into the light of day, clean it up, repair or modify it, and finally, to create a custom piece of jewelry to showcase it in, bringing it full circle, back to adorn the human figure for years to come.
