Hortus Collection || June 2020

The Hortus collection is a body of work that revolves around the affective, ecological and folkloric meaning of the Garden.
A garden is a metaphor of life. A hope for the future. A story wrote at 4 hands that bonds a circle between Nature and humanity.
Things won’t always grow as we expect them to do. That’s life. The powerful unpredictable chaos. So we learn to grow with it.
A garden is a teacher through a journey of grace and acceptance of the unexpected, even when it seems to hit as hard as hail over fresh buds.

The Hortus Collection is my largest collection to date, with over 80 handcrafted pieces, so here’s my best effort to make a comprehensive and exhaustive preview.

Rings

Hexagon amethyst rings: US sizes 5.75, 6.75, 7, 7.75, 8, 9, 9.5, 10.5, 11

Handcut ethically sourced amethyst with a simple setting on a hand stamped floral band.

Union rings: US sizes 5.75, 6.75, 7.25, 8

A colorful combination of amethyst and white water turquoise with stamped details and a simple thick band.

Double band rings: US sizes 8.75, 10.75

A simple setting with a double band and a small stamped detail on the back.

Rhombus ring: fits a US size 6.5

Handcut ethically sourced amethyst with a simple setting on a hand stamped floral double band.

Dancing poppies rings: US sizes 7, 8.75

Wide decorated band rings with a tiny amethyst and brass granule.

Simple stamped bands: US sizes 7.25, 7.75, 8.75

Necklaces

The enchanted forest portal necklace || 18″ chain

Deliberately crafted bold and heavily decorated, almost victorian style, this handmade sterling silver locket is one statment piece to honour the magical portals of immagination.
A forest version of the doors of Narnia, for our inner child’s use, to leave out the sometimes overwhelmingly raw world and fully plunge into an enchanted natural dimension, made of miniature ferns and lilies and curled up vines.
On top of the portal, 3 brilliant amethysts crown the wearer’s neck. The open backplates let the gems touch the skin, allowing the quartz crystals to fully infuse their energy and properties. An essential starry night view is cut out of the back of the middle stone.

The queen of violets necklace || 20″ chain

A pair of hand sawed violets adorn a stunning slice of natural amethyst, set in decorated sterling bezel wire.
Two handcut amethyst moons embellish the top of the pendant, side by side to a fashy oval moonstone.
Another small amethyst is set at the bottom.
A sweet detail on the back of the main stone, for the wearer only to enjoy: a hand pierced monarch wing opening, that allows the light to pass through the gem with a lovely game of lights.

Spring sanctuary necklace || 18″ chain

Imagine having an open window on your garden, that every season changes show. This is what spring would look like to me. A hand fabricated sterling silver branch loaded with blossoming sakura flowers.
Dangling below, a brilliant cut of natural amethyst with the backplate open to let the gems touch the skin, allowing the quartz to fully infuse its energy in the wearer.

Wild daisies statement necklace I || 16″ chain

I tried to give this pendant a combination of delicacy and sturdiness, just as the plant it inspires too: daisies.
On the front, two hand cut stylized flowers adorn a stunning slice of natural amethyst. These same designs are recalled on the back of the piece, with two additional hand sawed daisies.

Wild daisies statement necklace II || 18″ chain

On the front I chose a simple setting for this gorgeous slice of natural amethyst, only embellished with ball wire and a tiny moon dangling below.
On the back of the piece, a second layer of silver is adorned with hand sawed daisies and some added texture.

Forget-me-not bee’s locket necklace || 18″ chain

A compact yet precious double-face locket necklace that takes inspiration from an old signature design of mine: the bee’s boxes series.
On one side, stands a hand sawed blooming branch of forget-me-not, accompanied by a tiny vibrant 4 mm amethyst set in fine silver.
On the other, a lil’ solitary bee flies by the open cells of her hive, hand pierced through the silver sheet.
The mobile bail allows the wearer to turn the locket around with the desired side in front without need to take off the whole necklace.

Sacred harvester hands necklaces || 18″ chains

A few pieces to honour our beautiful hands. Hands able to feel, perceive, recognise, and above it all, on a deeper level, hands that are able to exchange energy with the earth.
These silver harvester hands dance under luminous natural amethysts, crowned by tiny handstamped leaves.
On the palms, the lock to the portal of perception.

Portal keys necklaces || 17″ chains

These little magical keys are meant to open the portal of perception – reoccurring theme in this collection (see the sacred harvester hands portal necklaces).
A little hand sawed monarch wing accompanies each key.

Secret garden necklaces || 16″ chains

I crafted these little botanical amulets as long-lasting odes to the concealed corners of a secret garden.
To the wild daisies growing undisturbed, to the evergreen beauty of a rose bud, to the esuberant yet humbe irises, to the sweet mistery of the unfurling ferns.
Each plant silhouettes has been hand sawed out of thick brass sheet and soldered onto a lightly textured solid sterling silver backplate.

Dandelion amulet necklaces || 18″ chains

Hand sawed silver dandelions to bring close to your heart. Tiny amulets of good fortune inspired to a plant that, with its semplicity, reminds us that good things don’t need to be overly complicated or extremely rare. Even one of the most common among “weeds” can shine as bright as the sun!

Botanical samples charm necklaces || 15-17″ adjustable chains

One thing I collected abundantly throughout my whole life, without even realising it, was dried flowers and leaves. Tightly pressed inside books. Daisies. Fern leaves. 4-leaf clovers.
Their presence – invisible – until you open the pages and suddenly realise that your book shelf is also a bank of botanical samples, sparse among the paper. Some as old as 15-20 years. A nostalgic herbarium.
The most delicate biological heirlooms, picked by my past self so that one day my future self could find them and wonder how many years it’s been. What a gift.
These tiny amulets were hand crafted with the intention to be a silver version of these botanical samples. A timeless piece of dainty nature to keep close to your heart and private, as a little tangible piece of memory.

Earrings

Triple ombrè amethyst dangles

Two intriguing slices of apex amethyst top the earrings, followed by rich purple oval amethysts and bright faceted ametrines dangling at the bottom.
Each bezel cup has an opening on the back to allow the light to shine throygh the gems making a lovely game of highlights and shadows when the earrings are wonr.

Alfalfa hoops

A showy yet delicate design combines the soft curves of the classical hoop style earrings with the intricacy of a handsawed botanical ode to the alfalfa plant.
A pair of lovely amethysts set in decorated bezel wire top it off.
The dark patina and matte finish, sealed with protective wax, brings up the details in a nice crisp contrast.

Shades of spring earrings

The delicate combination of purple, celeste and liliac gives these earrings a soft feeling of enchantment.
I carefully picked three pairs of the loveliest pastel coloured amethysts, lavender turquoises and faceted ametrines to be set in fine silver.

The herbalist long hoops

An ode to the incredible properties of often underestimated common “weeds”.
The esuberant yet dainty design combines the soft curves of the classical hoop style earrings with the intricacy of a miniature handsawed botanical herbarium: alfalfa, wild daisy, poppy and fumewort.
Dangling below, a triplette of the most vibrant faceted amethyst, strawberry quartz and white water turquoise. A palette worthy of a blooming spring field.

The forest witch hands earrings

A statment piece to honour our beautiful hands. Hands that perceive and recognise the outer worls, hands that are able to take and give, and in a more subtle way, able to exchange energy with the earth, with the whole of living and non-living essences that we’re so intrinsically connected to.
Maker’s hands. Healer’s hands. Mother’s hands. Your precious beautiful hands.
These silver hands dance under a pair of palpitant amethyst gems, crowned by handfabricated silver mushrooms and fern leaves.

The lush geometry earrings

Handstamped lush leaves crown the pastel coloured amethyst hexagons, while two smaller trapezoids dangle below, set in fantasy sterling silver bezel wire. These gems have been ethycally sourced from a vintage stash and handcut by me specifically for this design.

Monarch wings || 2 pairs

This dangles are a new twist to an signature design of mine: the monarch wings earrings. Each wing has been handsawed out of thick sterling sheet and sweatsoldered onto a silver backplate, for a deep marked detailing of the design. As for the lush geometry earrings, the gems have been ethycally sourced from a vintage stash and handcut by me specifically for this design.

Simple brass monarch wings

The monarch wings have been handsawed out of 1 mm thick (18 gauge) brass sheet. The earwire are sterling silver.

Dark monarch wings

A heavily oxidised version of the monarch wing earrings, entirely handcrafted in sterling silver. The patina has been sealed with protective wax.

Forget-me-not ametrine hoops

A delicate combination of pastel ametrine and handsawed forget-me-not flowers captures the dainty yet unforgettable nature of this evocative little plant.
All balanced in a silver marquise-shaped frame.

Summer bouquets dangles

Two bright amethyst cabochons are set in handfabricated fine silver serrated bezel. Below, a braid of silver stems blooms in 3 dainty flowers.

Violets dangles || 20% off

Two handfabricated violet flowers top a pair of dangling bright amethysts set in fine silver.
The dark patina and matte finish, sealed with protective wax, brings up the details in a nice crisp contrast.
This item is sold discounted by 20% because of a small non-structural flaw: one of the stones is slightly chipped on the right side.

Botanical sample earrings || 8 pairs

Just as for the Botanical sample charms, these tiny amulets were hand crafted with the intention to be a silver version of the nostalgic herbarium that hides among the pages of my bookshelf. A timeless heirloom of dainty nature to keep close and private, as a little tangible piece of memory.

Brooches

Queen of violets statement brooch

A hand sawed violet plant stands as focal point of the piece, embellished by a small crescent moon, silver granules and two tiny amethysts set in fine silver. Ball wire decorates the border.
The hand fabricated flower adds a tridimensional depth to the piece.

Fumaria and raw amethyst brooch

Deliberately crafted bold and strong, the Fumaria brooch takes its name from an extraordinary weed: Fumaria officinalis also known as fumewort.
This wild plant of the family of Fumariaceae has nothing special in appearance. She blooms in tiny purple flowers and its fruits are just as insignificant.
Nonetheless, she’s an absolute Queen of the fields. The plant was recognised for its medicinal properties in Europe since the late Middle Ages and has become a staple in herbalism ever since.
I paired this all but unimportant weed with the chunkiest, brightest, and gemmiest piece of amethyst cluster, carefully enclosed in a one of a kind, handmade sterling silver setting.
On the back of the brooch my homage to fumewort: a little branch of the plant, hand sawed out of metal sheet and soldered onto the backplate.

Wrist adornments

Lily of the valley cuff bracelet

A hand sawed lily of the valley in a wire frame adorns the focal point of the piece.
The bracelet fits a size S/M. It measures 5 5/16″ (13.5 cm) in lenght with a 1″ gap (2.5 cm).

That’s all for the Hortus collection!

If you have your eyes on something, please keep in mind that due to the Covid-19 outbreak, international packages might take up to 1 to 2 months to arrive.

Thank you for sticking around! See you today at 1 pm Pacific Daylight Time (or 22:00 CEST) on my Etsy shop!

My warmest hugs from Italy,

Alea