About this Piece
These beautiful earrings are made from highly polished pieces of Connemara Marble set into a Sterling Silver casing.
The front of these earrings are cut into shape to resemble the famous 'fairy trees' of Ireland, and display the marble through the branches.
The back of the earrings are completely open to reveal the full piece of marble.
Each pair of earrings come with a story card explaining the fairy tree folklore.
The earrings hang from shepherd's hook style earwires.
History of Fairy Trees
Scattered around Ireland are short bushy trees, typically hawthorn or ash, standing alone yet decorated with various trinkets, from colorful ribbons and beads to toys and letters. These particular 'fairy trees' are an enduring piece of Irish superstition, believed to be gateways belonging to the 'Sidhe' people from the otherworld (more commonly known as 'faeries' or 'wee folk'). These trees are not the only gateways - wells and burial mounds can also also sacred sites. People tie objects to the branches with the hope of receiving a bit of luck in return. Meanwhile, damaging or cutting down the tree is thought to bring major misfortune on the perpetrator (this belief is still strong enough that major roads have been re-routed to avoid disrupting the fairy trees). The trees can be found in areas with ancient Pagan settlements, such as the Hill of Tara.
About the Maker
J.C. Walsh & Sons is a family business which has been selling high quality marble gifts and souvenirs since 1946. From their own quarry in County Galway, they extract marble and transport it to their workshop in Dublin, where top designers polish and craft it into beautiful handmade gifts and pieces of jewelry.
