Simple teardrops get a total transformation with petal motifs and granulated details. Beautifully textured with tiny beads, an extra lustrous finish makes these beauties shine extra bright. Made in India from sterling silver, earrings measure 1.25 inches long and 0.75 inches wide.
- Floral drop chandelier earrings
- Lustrous finish, beaded details
- Made of sterling silver
- Measure 1.25 x 0.75 inches
- Made in India
This item may feature slight variations in finish, details, and overall appearance.
design: An open teardrop silhouette is traced in tiny granulated beads and bordered by a scalloped ring of petals, giving the chandelier earring the look of a stylized flower blooming around a drop.
size: Approximately 1.25 inches long by 0.75 inches wide.
material: Sterling silver.
features: Granulated bead detailing, open teardrop cutout, scalloped petal border, high-polish lustrous finish, fishhook ear wires
care: Polish with a soft jewelry cloth and store in a dry pouch away from moisture and perfume to keep the silver from tarnishing.
disclaimer: As handmade pieces, slight variations in finish and bead placement are normal and part of the piece's character.
The Story
The teardrop, bordered here by a ring of petals, is one of the most enduring shapes in Indian silver jewelry, echoing the paisley and lotus forms carved into temple architecture and worked into textiles for centuries. Framing an open center with a beaded outline rather than a solid sheet of metal is a deliberate choice: it lets the drop catch and move light, a detail long favored in South Asian silversmithing for pieces meant to be worn and seen in motion.
The scalloped petal edge surrounding the drop nods to lotus and floral motifs found throughout Indian decorative arts, from block-printed textiles to hand-engraved metalwork, where flowers are used less as literal botany and more as a shorthand for abundance and craftsmanship. Granulation itself, the beading technique used along the earring's edges, is one of the oldest metalworking skills practiced on the subcontinent, passed from silversmith to apprentice over generations.
While this particular piece is a contemporary design, it draws directly on that vocabulary of open drop shapes and beaded borders that has long defined Indian silver jewelry making, made for everyday wear rather than ceremonial use alone.
A piece like this starts as flat sheet silver, cut into the teardrop and petal outline before the center is pierced away to create the open silhouette. The silversmith then solders a line of tiny silver balls, each one shaped and placed by hand, along the drop's edge and around the petals to build the granulated detail. The finished piece is polished to bring up the shine, a process that depends on a steady hand and an eye trained over years of bench work.
Craft & Materials
- Made In: India
- Craft Tradition: Granulated silverwork
- Ideal For: Someone who wants a statement earring with fine metalwork detail rather than stones
- Wear It With: Wear with an updo or pulled-back hair so the openwork and beading catch the light
- Purpose: Special occasion wear, everyday statement jewelry, gifting
- Metal: Sterling silver
Questions & Answers
Are these earrings solid sterling silver or plated?
They're made of sterling silver throughout, not a plated base metal.
How heavy do they feel to wear?
The open, pierced design keeps them lighter than their size suggests, since the teardrop centers are cut away rather than solid.
What kind of ear wire do they use?
Standard sterling silver fishhook wires, which sit comfortably for most ear types.
How do I keep the silver from tarnishing?
Wipe with a soft jewelry cloth after wearing and store in a dry pouch away from humidity and perfume.
Will the two earrings look exactly identical?
Since each is hand-finished, you may notice small variations in the bead placement or polish between the pair, which is typical of handmade silverwork.
