Mantis Mine Nopales Earrings

These earrings celebrate one of the desert’s most enduring symbols: the prickly pear cactus. Each sterling silver cactus is surrounded by a bold rope border, finished with texture work that brings the pads to life. At the top, Mantis mined stones ground the design with their unique character. The mine is currently awaiting testing to determine whether it is turquoise or variscite (I like to think of it as a cousin of turquoise), this material has a striking green tone layered with depth and intrigue — a fresh complement to the rugged silverwork. Each stone is framed in a small classic rope border, balancing traditional silversmithing with a contemporary edge.

Bold in scale yet deeply rooted in the landscape that inspires them, these earrings carry the grit and beauty of the desert into statement jewelry. With their size and presence comes a little weight, so each pair includes my extra-large earring backs for better balance and comfort. Still, they’re best reserved for nights out or special occasions when you want your jewelry to do the talking. They weigh 16 grams each and measure just over 3" long.

Stamped sterling and signed with my maker’s mark.