Ok so we know you’re plant mad right now. And there’s nothing more awesome than expressing your love for plants in what you wear. Something that I’ve been super into recently is botanical jewellery and I’ve found a whole host of amazing brands that are here to satisfy that need. These brands are dedicated to all things botanical. In no particular order, here they are:
Nic Bladen
I first ‘discovered’ Bladen without knowing I discovered him. I saw his life-like bronze plant sculptures at the Everard Read Gallery and was amazed by them. I made the biggest effort to remember the artist’s name – but failed. I’m awful with names. Low and behold, a few years later an Instagram account popped up on my radar and I was like ‘Woah! That’s him!’. And then I discovered something even more awesome – he makes jewellery. Every item is unique and each leaf, twig or flower has been cast directly from nature. His jewellery is exceptionally unique and has a rustic, lost in time feeling to it. My husband purchased a pair of small earrings for me for my birthday and I am so happy with them. They are also kind to my sensitive ears and I notice some new detail about them every time I look at them.
Greymalkins
Greymalkins was started by Liffey Joy in 2020. Liffey is a plant lover, cat mom and an amazingly talented artist. Through Greymalkins she produces a whole host of goodies from beautifully designed licence plate stickers, planters, eco beauty products and to my delight – earrings! Liffey has an Instagram plant page where you can witness her love for her plants first hand, and I can absolutely say that it transfers itself into the earrings. They’re mainly aroid / jungle plant inspired and have a chunky, ceramic feel with modern abstract lines and colours. As a friend of mine, I’ve been kindly gifted a few pairs and I love having fun styling them with different outfits.
Tiffany Marx Jewellery
Wow. I’m so happy I came across Tiffany Marx. Tiffany came highly recommended when I did a broadcast on social media asking for botanical jewellery recommendations. And it doesn’t take much to see why. Her work is elegant and has a whimsical feel to it. There are two current collections that are based off the botanical. The Spikethorn collection and the Falling Star collection- both these collections have items that are cast directly from Spikethron and Falling Star seedpods, complete with all the nuances and subtle textures. Both collections are made from bronze and sterling silver but if you’d like a custom order made from other metals such as gold or platinum, Tiffany can accomodate you! To purchase from the collection you can find her jewellery at the V&A Watershed in Cape Town, or you can email her at [email protected] and she’ll help you with your order and get it shipped to you.
Noemnoem Jewellery
Noemnoem makes their jewellery from REAL plants, flowers, fynbos and lichen. Designer Mariet is fascinated in being able to capture the natural world in miniature through the art of embedding in resin. Silver and eco-friendly resin are used in the jewellery making process. I must say, to look at some of Mariet’s pieces is to see an intricate miniature landscape or portrait. Each individual piece of jewellery is also heavily contrasted against each other – with some very delicate pieces and then some very bold striking ones. I love the fact that you’d probably be able to find something for most people that would satisfy their differing tastes.
Suikerbos Jewellery
Quite a few people also messaged me and recommended Suikerbos jewellry. I was pleasantly surprised when I checked them out. They have a whole collection dedicated to ‘land’ where they focus on the intricacies in nature. Symmetries, spirals, waves, cracks and stripes are explored through hand drawn sketches and the metal that is primarily used in the pieces is brass and stainless steel. My favourite pieces are the Fire Leaf earrings and Aloe ring.
Ficus Macrame
Ficus Macrame is a breath of fresh air. Ceci has really turned around frumpy macrame into a delicate art and some of her jewellery pieces are directly inspired by her love for plants and conservation. The colour scheme that Ficus Macrame has on the go is almost jewel-like and there are so many options you can choose from when ordering your piece. I loved her work so much that we included 3 pairs of earrings in a Saffron’s Garden Plant Club giveaway and people were over the moon when they received theirs.
Poppy Dot Designs
Poppy Dot Designs has an huge Botanical collection that would make any plant person happy. The pieces are predominately made of sterling silver, plated gold or include freshwater pearls. My favourites were these stud earrings – Monstera and Brunia. Lizl and Alesta, the brains behind Poppy Dot Designs have a passion for flowers and you can see that in the way they design their pieces.
Botanica Jewellery
Founder Claire, draws inspiration from the fauna and flora found in the Western Cape. All her pieces end up having some botanical twist to them. Botanica also does custom made pieces and have gift cards available to purchase on their website which is perfect for gifting! I also loved how some pieces didn’t scream botanical until you read the story behind them. For example the large Milkwood leaf earring could just be an elongated disk, but having the inspiration unveiled behind the piece brings one closer to it. Some other favourites were the Pincushion Protea necklace and the Turmaline ring that has subtle leaves growing toward the stone.
And there you have it! Make sure to send this list to your partner or friends so they know exactly what to get you for your next present – or better yet, TREAT YO SELF! If you have any favourite botanical jewellers, let me know! I would love to add to the the list.