Moonflower

I asked and you answered: the newly-dubbed The Oak’s Eye earrings have made their way online! These things are large and glorious and I love looking at them and, apparently, they look back at me too. Thank you all so much for helping me name these! I had a lot of fun with that and you saved these earrings from a potentially desolate life, doomed at birth by an ill-fitted name. I have to say that ‘The Oak’s Eye’ was my top pick (though Firelight was a close second - that one’s going in my back pocket for another day) and I’m delighted that it’s what we as a collective selected. Stick around for another naming session sometime soon; there are more earrings to add to the shop, and therefore more to be christened!

At least twenty-eight triangles have found their way onto our website, and they’re all contained in this one pair of earrings. Feels good to freshen up our site a bit!

“Moonflower earrings get noticed like a beautiful newborn baby” has to be my favorite snippet of a recent review. “I wore these the other day,” the author wrote, “and three different strangers complimented, ‘I love your earrings.’” Thanks for sharing the kind words and making me giggle (also sorta like a baby), M.E.!

I just submitted our application for this winter’s holiday market(s!), which was means I finally got around to processing these photos from last year! What a grand time that was. I’ve been enjoying the warmth of May, but Christmas in New York always sounds like a plan.

Hello from the other half of 2021! Though the year’s not quite over, this morning I found myself ruminating on what a wonderful one it’s been, feeling so grateful for all of the moments, big and small, that we were able to spend with you. Here’s a shot from one of those Big Moments, when we had the opportunity to vend at Firefly Music Festival and brought along some of our dearest friends for the ride. Looking forward to continuing to share with you all!

Phew, it’s been a while! I might not be so great at posting, but know that I’m still here, just a click away. Just thought I’d drop in to update you on the newest arrival in our shop, the lovely Deco Earrings! Inspired by the Roaring Twenties and hailing from one of India’s oldest cities, these minimalist brushed brass posts evoke a timeless beauty sure to set your heart aflappin’.

This gorgeous photographic creation of @thisisninaluna’s perfectly aligned with both the style and publication date of @granny_broughton’s most recent journal entry, ‘Aesthetics: Lovecore 101.’ I’ll tease you (it is all about love, after all) with a brief introduction for now, but click the link in our bio to read on!⠀ ⠀ “Lovecore (also known as heartcore, crushcore, or cupidcore) is an aesthetic that commemorates the visual aspects of manufactured affection and romance; from eating boxes of chocolate, to writing love letters, to holding hands with a lover, the lovecore aficionado is enamored with delicious delicacies and gentle gestures. For the lovecore enthusiast, Valentine’s Day is not a singular holiday to be observed annually, but rather a way of life that should be celebrated daily.”

“Tossing your favorite tweed jacket over your shoulder, you head out the door of your ancient apartment into an autumnal dusk. It is a dreary evening in late October, but you can’t help but skip with each step, crunching a leaf or two every time your feet graze the ground. Halfway to your final destination, you stop at your favorite coffee shop, greet the barista, and order your usual drink - a large black coffee to-go. After taking a few small sips of the blistering beverage, a warmth envelops your body and a giddiness overcomes your soul. You’ve made this very trek hundreds of times, but each time you finally round the corner and feast your eyes upon the glorious glass doors, you can’t help but feel like you’ve won the lottery. With each step your pace increases, until you are at last skip-running to the building’s entrance. You stop your feet just before crashing into the doors, grip the gold handle, and pull with a grunt. Here you are at last - the local library…”⠀ ⠀ @granny_broughton’s latest piece in our “Aesthetic” series covers dark academia, light academia, and everything else under academia’s wooden-handled umbrella. Step into her world of words, tune into the curated playlist, and immerse yourself in the themed moldboard by clicking the link in our bio.

I posted this ring on our stories the other day, and so many of you had such positive reactions to it that I thought I’d take the time to talk about the history of the Karen (no, not that one) and the wonderful work they produce. Though their origins are unknown and few written records of their history exist, it is clear that the nomadic Karen hill tribe migrated across Tibet and China to the eastern mountainous region of Burma (now Myanmar) some two thousand years ago, an area known today as the Karen State. In the 8th and 9th centuries, the Burmese migrated to that area as well, and, viewing the Karen as unwelcome outsiders, ostracized and abused them. When the British arrived in 1886 with colonization on the mind, the Karen saw a chance at finally escaping oppression. In World War II, while Burmese troupes fought alongside the Japanese and the Nazis, the Karen sided with Britain and the Allies. Following their success in the war, Britain granted Burma its independence in 1948, but the agreement failed to give the Karen rights to their own land. The Burmese, not a part of the Commonwealth as many former colonies became, were once again the dominant ethnic group, and, in the 1960s, began a campaign against the Karen, during which they cut off resources and forced entire communities to relocate. Even today, each dry season brings more oppression to the Karen, as the Burmese military regime burns their villages, tortures and kills civilians, and rapes women and girls. In an attempt to escape the conflicts, many Karen have fled across the border into Thailand, taking up residence in bamboo stilt houses nestled into the hills of the north, far away from the modern world. Due to their uncertain, refugee status, life is still difficult for the Karen tribes in Thailand, and tourism is one of the few ways they earn their incomes. Their villages have become an attraction to many visiting Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, as Karen women are renowned for their use of brass rings to elongate their necks and thus appear more beautiful. [continued in comments below]

“It is a lovely morning in early spring. A light breeze enters through the French windows and floats about your kitchen, forcing your long hair to dance as you work on mashing the strawberries necessary for your homemade jam. After boiling your sugary concoction, you empty the contents of your completed creation into several mason jars, ornament the tops with doilies, and place them inside the refrigerator so that they will be fresh for your afternoon tea. You slip out of your lace apron and into your favorite dress - a yellow gingham midi - and tie the satin straps of your sunhat swiftly around your chin. You scurry out of your quiet cottage and into the garden, planting your bare feet against the soil. The birds sing their sweet symphony, a butterfly flutters atop your shoulder, an earthy aroma fills your nose. You hang your clothes to dry, fill your favorite hand-woven basket with wildflowers, tend to your goats, and generally just, well, frolic.” These words by the brilliant @granny_broughton are an excerpt from the first post of our journal, an immersion into the quaint and quiet world of cottagecore. Follow the link in our bio as you would a breadcrumb trail to the piece’s secluded home in our corner of the internet, where you are likely to encounter a playlist and mood board inspired by the aesthetic and all it encompasses. 🌻🧺

Just causally hanging out in a field of dried flowers while wearing pretty jewelry is what I’d like to be doing right about now. 🌾 Here’s @iamvickeylee doing just that, in our *new* hill tribe silver Bird of Paradise Ring.

Here ye, hear ye! New arrivals in hill tribe silver! I love these pieces much - there’s nothing else like them in the whole entire world! (And you can trust us, we’re always on the lookout!) ⁣ ⁣ The Embrace Earrings give off the minimalist appeal of small silver hoops but offer so much more personality, a leafy flower appears to blow in the wind as it curves its way around our Wildflower Ring, and in continuation of the spiral movement, the Arowana Ring features a sea creature with detailed scales, little embossed reminders of the artisans of whose hands and lands formed these pieces.

All six of our ear climbers are finally up on the site, including these two particularly festive styles! Get a few bucks off when you purchase a pair. 👯‍♂️

Been a little quiet round here lately because I’ve been hard at work outfitting our wholesale shop, and I’m so happy to say that it’s already begun to pay off - we welcomed not one, but TWO new retail partners over the weekend! If you would like to see Moonflower in the shops and boutiques of your neighborhood, please spread the word! We love sprinkling the joy of beautiful, ethical, handcrafted jewelry across the lands. As with our website, the collection is ever-evolving and new pieces are added every week. Find the goods at helloabound.com/moonflower or apply privately at themoonflowertent.com/wholesale.

The first review on the Soma Ring is in! In the words of @hennabysrija “This ring is absolutely beautiful! It looks exactly like it does in the picture in real life. I wear it quite often and I'm lazy and don't always take off my rings before washing my hands and I haven't noticed any tarnishing and it doesn't turn my skin any weird colors! Overall, a great ring!” ❋❋❋❋❋⁣ ⁣ Beautiful @chloeseaanne is pictured here wearing our Soma Ring, Sacred Garden Earrings, Tiger’s Eye Persephone Bracelet, and Laurel Ring (not available online).