A tribute to nature’s quiet beauty, these sterling silver earrings capture the gentle elegance of a floating lotus pad. Resting at its center is a rich green onyx gemstone, evoking the harmony and renewal found in tranquil waters.
- Design: Lotus pad stud earrings with a green onyx centerpiece
- Material: Sterling silver with natural green onyx
- Size: Earrings measure 0.75” across; gemstone is approximately 0.20” in diameter
- Country of origin: Handcrafted in Thailand
Note: Each piece is handmade, embracing slight variations that highlight its artisan charm.
design: Stud earrings shaped like a floating lotus pad, a textured silver disc with irregular, gently curling edges and fine radiating hand-etched lines like leaf veins, set with a round green onyx prong-set at the center.
size: Earrings measure 0.75" across; gemstone is approximately 0.20" in diameter.
material: Sterling silver with natural green onyx.
features: Textured lotus-pad silhouette, hand-etched radiating vein pattern, prong-set center stone, post-and-back closure
care: Store in a dry, airtight pouch and polish occasionally with a soft silver cloth to keep the texture and shine.
disclaimer: Each piece is handmade, so slight variations in the silver's texture and the gemstone's tone are part of its handcrafted character.
The Story
The lotus pad is a familiar sight across Thailand's canals, rice paddies, and temple ponds, and its irregular, wavy-edged silhouette has long been a favorite subject for Thai silversmiths working in nature-inspired design. Rather than a perfect circle, the pad's uneven curl mirrors how the leaf actually floats and folds on water.
The fine, radiating etched lines across the surface echo the leaf's rib pattern, a texturing technique widely used in Thai silverwork to bring organic, botanical forms to life in metal. It's a design approach rooted in observation of the natural world rather than in any single symbol or ritual meaning.
Pairing a everyday plant form with a faceted gemstone at its center is a common move in Thai jewelry making: the contrast of a matte, hand-worked surface against a polished stone gives the piece depth and catches light differently from different angles.
A silversmith begins by cutting and doming a disc of sterling silver into the lotus pad's uneven, curled shape, then works the surface by hand with a fine chisel or graver to cut the radiating vein lines one at a time. A four-prong setting is soldered at the center and hand-set with the green onyx before the piece is polished and finished with a post and back. Because each disc is shaped and textured freehand, no two pads curl or catch light in quite the same way.
Craft & Materials
- Made In: Thailand
- Craft Tradition: Thai silversmithing
- Ideal For: Anyone who likes nature-inspired jewelry with a handcrafted, textured finish
- Wear It With: Wear with everyday layered silver jewelry or let them stand alone with simple, solid-color tops
- Purpose: Everyday wear, office wear, gifting
- Gemstone: Green onyx
- Metal: Sterling silver
Green onyx is a banded chalcedony valued for its rich, saturated color, which ranges from deep forest to a brighter grass green depending on the stone. It's cut and polished as a durable, everyday gemstone that pairs well with both silver and gold settings, and its solid color reads clearly even in a small, 0.20" stone like this one.
Questions & Answers
Are these earrings handmade?
Yes. Each pair is handcrafted in Thailand, and the silver's texture and gemstone tone will show slight natural variation piece to piece.
What gemstone is used, and is it natural?
The center stone is natural green onyx, a durable chalcedony valued for its rich, even color.
How big are the earrings?
Each earring measures about 0.75" across, with a gemstone approximately 0.20" in diameter.
What kind of closure do they have?
They're post-and-back studs, suited for everyday wear.
How do I care for the sterling silver?
Keep them in a dry, airtight pouch when not worn and polish occasionally with a soft silver cloth to maintain their texture and shine.
