These are a beautiful pair of studs from Kirra-lea Caynes.
She has brought us a pair of sand cast earrings with a small blue sapphire in the middle of each stud.
Designed in a crescent these studs have only the spectaculr soft texture that sandcasting makes and the Australian Sapphires. The stones are grain set in place with 2 dots either side of them. The studs measure at 5mm x 7.5mm wide and 2.5mm thick
Kirra-lea is an accomplished sand caster and specialises in cast-in-place rough and faceted sapphires. This unique skill has enabled her to travel around Australia teaching fellow jewellers and novices alike the ancient technique. All her rough sapphires are Australian mined by small family businesses and hobbyists. Kirra-lea also makes fossicking trips into the Tasmanian wilderness where she finds her own rough gemstones in the pristine North East rivers. The riverbanks are also a great source for interesting sticks and twigs to incorporate into her designs.
Kirra-lea has won multiple competitions, including The JAA Jewellery Awards, DGA Design Awards, and most recently Jeweller of the Year in the 2019 JAA Design competition. Kirra-lea is a qualified jeweller with over 10 years’ experience. She specialises in hand-crafted sterling silver and gold jewellery that is inspired by nature.
