Have you ever seen cloisonné jewelry? I’m not really comparing my design to that technique, but some of my customers have told me the enamel turtle jewelry reminds them of that. This is mostly because of the thin lines of metal surrounding the colored portion of the design.

The way I actually created the design was by using a jeweler’s tool to hollow out portions of the shell. That way my painters can fill the hollows with the colors I’ve chosen, and the pewter lines become another part of the design.

When I visited Alameda East Veterinary Clinic in Denver a couple years ago, Dr. Fitzgerald let me hold a turtle patient while my husband took some photographs. I was surprised by how sharp his little claws were as he tried to scratch himself out of my one-handed grip. I was terrified I’d drop him, and glad to return him to Dr. Fitzgerald after Ed took the photo!

I’d love to meet a member of the Galapagos tortoise family. I’ve seen images of them and a show or two on television, but it must be unbelievable to be in the presence of these long lived members of the turtle family. I think they are beautiful animals and seem rather wise to me.

My nod to the turtle family in my enamel green turtle earring design is, I think, rather pretty. And who can go wrong wearing anything in green?

 

That's also the color for a little pair of wiggly green enamel snake earrings, part of my enamel reptile earring choices.