Sterling Silver Cross Drop Earrings

Handcrafted in high-quality sterling silver, these delicate cross dangle earrings are skillfully made by women artisans in Mexico. 

• Measures: Approximately 2.5-inches long by 1-inch wide.
• Sterling Silver.
• The handcrafted nature of this product will produce minor differences in design, sizing and weight. Variations will occur from piece to piece, measurements may vary slightly.
  

The Story Behind the Art:

Renowned for its rich history and Old World beauty, Taxco, Mexico is known for it's masterful silver artistry, using high-quality sterling silver or alpaca silver. The Artisana Collection represents work from multiple artists in this famous region of Mexico, offering a wide range of styles from traditional to more whimsical, using beautiful, natural materials such as abalone shell, mother-of-pearl, flowers, alpaca silver, sterling silver, tumbaga gold and more to create one-of-a-kind pieces. 

Soapstone is carved by the artists of SMOLArt a group of artists who live in the rural village of Tabaka, Kenya, the heart of soapstone crafts. The name, a shortened version of Small, Medium, and Large Artists, refers to the size of the soapstone products the artisans make, not their stature. Established in 1990, SMOLArt is a member of the WFTO, and as such assures that the artisans are paid a fair price for their work. In addition, the organization support community development by contributing to projects that improve living conditions, education, and health of their members and the village at large.

Soapstone is mined from great pits in the area surrounding Kiisi, Kenya. The mined soapstone is then delivered to carvers who carve sculptures from the natural stone for the wholesale market, the color of which ranges from cream, to pink, to brown, to yellow, to black, to a marbling of all of them. Once carved, the craftspeople smooth rough edges of the soapstone with sandpaper dipped in water and polish the piece to a high gloss or paint African motifs in brilliant colors with etched accents.

All of the soapstone products we sell are completely handmade. The tools consist of household items from screwdrivers, hand drills, to switchblades. "Pangas," sword-like tools usually used for cutting down vegetation, are used to cleave the stone in the mines.