Spumellaria Earrings - Science Jewelry

These earrings are based on Spumellaria, a type of Radiolaria. Radiolaria are aquatic protozoan life forms that develop a fantastically intricate silica-containing shell. The sea floor is composed of their microscopic fossilized skeletons. The Radiolarian 'Spumellaria' is defined by its elaborate sphere-within-a-sphere construction. The delicate spines on the shell are important for the buoyancy of the plankton during its lifetime, but break off when the shell is deposited in the sea bed. This design was inspired by a drawing by the German naturalist, Prof. Ernst Haeckel.

Earrings do not ship from Shapeways with hooks. You will need to attach and purchase them yourself, and ask your local jeweler to help you. Each earring weighs approximately 1.5g.