Gion Nights Earrings ~ Nihon Collection

Gion Nights

Smoky quartz, labradorite, garnet, citrine  

Last but not least, my favourite pair from this small collection! 

Inspired by perhaps my most favourite place in Japan (for now), the Gion district in Kyoto.

 

When we headed over, it was still drizzling and nearing evening time. I had read online that if we wanted to catch sightings of maiko or geisha, to head over then, when they would be on their way to their appointments. 

As soon as we got there, we saw this young lady. I didn't mean to be disrespectful, but I really wanted a photo of her. I wasn't hunting them down like some tourists were though! 

 

 Gion left an indelible mark on me. Maybe it is because I am a romantic and dreamer, and I also love history. I had read about the history of geisha, even read "Memoirs of a Geisha", and was intrigued by this secretive profession. Even more memorable for me was walking along the streets that held so much history, music and art. 

 I tried to convey this in Gion Nights, with the dark, smoky quartz, and passionate red garnet. This pair exudes quiet charm and allure.

 If you look at the colours in Gion, you can see red (garnet) from the lanterns that hung outside the shop houses, and yellow (citrine) from the low lamp posts. I did not intentionally use these colours as I was making these earrings, but somehow as I looked at the photos side by side, I realized that the street scenes had really left a deep impression on me, to have remembered the colours like this. 

 

 A side alley. Full of mystery and melancholy. 

Gemstones:

~ AAA smoky quartz briolettes

~ labradorite briolettes

~ garnet briolettes

~ citrine rondelles

Metal:

~ 14k gold filled

~ gold plated matte flower hooks

I will be sad to see this pair go, but I hope it will go to a good home, where it'll be treasured. 

Find it here: Gion Nights

Love,

Jo