Inside Look: Papillon Earrings


A gorgeous trio:
Papillon earrings in pink sapphires, blue sapphires and tsavorite.
All three lovelies are handmade in 18k gold, with
diamond details.

When designing jewelry you have the freedom to do new and innovative things. At the same time, your creations have to also be both beautiful and functional, as they are made to be intimately worn.  When I'm designing for the Daniella Kronfle woman, I look to many things like art and nature for inspiration.  Everything that surrounds me has a meaning, and I like to play with that before I create something new.

Pretty in pink sapphires...

One motif that appears historically in art and jewelry, and consistently in my designs is the butterfly. Yes, it is a beautiful creature, but I love it because it is also one of nature's biggest holder of lore and mysticism.  When I design a piece it has to not only be stunning, it also has to have meaning.  The suggestion of transformation behind the butterfly is a very powerful theme, and one I love to design around. 

Sexy tsavorites and diamonds...

It was exactly that sort of transition or transformation that I was thinking of when I designed these elegant Papillon earrings.  I loved them so much, that I did them in three different colors and gemstones.  While the theme of transformation is universal for most women, a single color might not be.  For my Papillon trio I chose the very popular tsavorite (green), pink sapphires, and blue sapphires. All three are fabulous and versatile colors.  

For ages this natural wonder has symbolized faith, transition, resurection, lightnes, soul and celebration in many cultures.  In China, a butterfly means a long life.  In Japan they are symbolic of marital bliss, young love or young womanhood.  Germans have a very cute myth for butterflies, as they are usually found fluttering about milk pails or butter (butterfly, get it?) churns.  They associate them with witches or spirits coming to have some cream, while Greeks link butterflies directly to a person's soul. 

Beautiful blue sapphires....

Women in general go through many changes (teen years, college, motherhood), and I think that a butterfly amulet is the perfect accompaniment to any of them. These gorgeous and symbolic earrings are meant to encapsulate just that, the incredible power a woman has for transformation and change.  I like to imagine that a gift like this can be symbolic of a change in someone's life, much like the little caterpillar's journey.


From caterpillar, to egg, to larvae to cocoon, the butterfly emerges with it's new, delicate wings, in full, unfurling glory. The energy it takes to change, and her acceptance of this change,  is what is most amazing about this creature and why I like to include it in my designs.  

Love Always
Dani K

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