In Tage Andersen’s fabulous flower universe, you can find even more fabulous jewelry these days. 41 jewelers are exhibiting earrings inspired by flowers – and believe me, it’s an exhibition you don’t want to miss!
 

When I was asked which flower I wanted to interpret as an earring, the answer was obvious: Columbine! My favorite style is art nouveau because of its curls and you can find just such a curl on this flower, which has beautiful, curly “horns” on the back.

But the bud in particular is really cute to me. As a self-proclaimed geek, I can’t help but see a fairy-tale dragon egg when I look at it:

 My vision was to work with the flower bud – created from an inverted amethyst drop with a metal top which I carved in wax.

I wanted to suspend the bud from a single flower petal with the iconic curl, but that part in particular turned out to be a challenge. The leaf was initially designed in 3D, but after the first cast I spent a long time refining the shape in order to make it feel harmonious and the dimensions matched my idea.

After many experiments with size and angle, I managed to find a beautiful balance and was finally able to decide how long and curved the stem should be.

The end result in gold – which beautifully contrasts the violet amethysts – was very successful, I think. Organic with a light texture on the petals, but at the same time abstract in its expression.

See more pictures of the finished earrings here:

Take me to the earrings

Incidentally, I have since played around with the columbine shape and created three other pieces of jewelry:

A long, slender pendant featuring the flower bud with a large faceted black spinel

A set of simpler and shorter earrings where the flower bud is replaced by large, teardrop-shaped freshwater pearls

A necklace of slightly larger flower petals

In time more versions will probably join as well.

The fairy tale flower shop

Tage Andersen's shop is in its own league. His flower creations are not only beautiful, but are also emphasized by unique vases, candlesticks and artistic details which create an atmosphere of another world – not least accompanied by atmospheric opera.

If you love large statement earrings with botanical inspiration, then a visit to Tage Andersen in Copenhagen is a must. Here, I and 40 other jewelers display our personal take on a flower as an earring. And let me just say it: Discretion is not the theme! My own 7 cm long earrings are destined to be noticed, but some of the creations in the exhibition spread so much that they cover half of the wearer’s head. Yet they manage to be graceful, and I must say that out of those jewelry exhibitions, which I have been so lucky to partake in, this one sports the most successful and decidedly beautiful contributions gathered in one place.

The exhibition is curated by Nina Hald and can be experienced at Tage Andersen's at Ny Adelgade 12, Copenhagen (close to Hotel D'Angleterre) from February 1 to March 30. Come by and experience a fairy tale of flowers and jewelry! If you are unable to have the live experience, you can find photos of the earrings here.