cool earrings

Working with shavings of eucalyptus wood, Brazilian artisan Claudia Castelao diligently handcrafts two lovely red roses in this pair of dangle earrings. Each rose is displayed against a circle of natural horn, dangling from teardrops of 18k gold plated metal. Says the artisan, "I want to create a piece that has a regional touch and a cultural identity of the region where I live, Mato Grosso do Sul."

Beautifully carved from bits of eucalyptus wood, a majestic rose opens sweet yellow petals. The realistic flower poses on a square of louro wood in earrings by Claudia Castelao. The Brazilian artisan displays the pair on gleaming squares and posts bathed in 18k gold.