Following a Feeling: The Inspiration Behind the Phosphosiderite Lantern Earrings

On the Slowmade Podcast, I often ask my guests where they get their design inspiration. Sometimes they say it comes from nature, and you can see that literally in the work. Other times they mention architecture, and you can see it in the form, structure, and lines.

For me, this has always been a little harder to explain because most of the time it’s subconscious. I’m not usually starting with a clear theme or a perfectly mapped-out idea. I’m searching for a feeling as I combine stones, texture, shape, and color.

Then, as the piece begins to take shape, I get that sense of there it is. That’s usually when I can finally name what the feeling is.

The colors I’m drawn to are almost always connected to something I’m longing for. A beautiful sunrise or sunset. Travel to a faraway place. A sense of grounding. A spark of joy. Something earthy, something layered, something that feels like it carries a little story inside it.

With these earrings, I started simply with a leafy pattern that I rolled into sterling silver, then cut into a lantern-like shape. I didn’t begin with Morocco in mind. I didn’t sit down and say, “I’m going to make Moroccan-inspired earrings today.” That would be far too organized and suspiciously unlike me.

Instead, I followed the materials.

As I searched through my stones, I kept coming back to the vivid pink and golden cream of this phosphosiderite. The color felt unusual and alive, but also softened somehow, like something that had been touched by sun, time, and weather. There was something in it that reminded me of brightly colored old stucco in a faraway place.

The longer I looked at the earrings, the clearer it became. The lantern shape. The leafy texture. The stone with its pink, sun-worn color. Suddenly I kept thinking about Morocco — the layered architecture, the warm walls, the patterned details, the feeling of wandering through a place that feels both ancient and vibrant.

And there it was.

Not a literal interpretation, but a small nod to the feeling of Morocco. The kind of inspiration that arrives slowly, through color and texture, before you even realize what you’ve been following.

That is often how my work comes together. One small decision leads to the next. A stone catches my attention. A shape begins to suggest something. A texture adds another layer. Then all at once, the piece becomes more than the separate parts.

These earrings feel travel-worn and a little exotic, but still earthy and wearable. The phosphosiderite brings that vivid pink and golden cream color, while the oxidized sterling silver adds depth and contrast. The leafy pattern gives them movement and a bit of old-world romance, without feeling too polished or perfect.

They feel like a small doorway into somewhere else.

A little reminder that jewelry can hold more than materials. It can hold a mood, a memory, a longing, or a place you’ve never been but somehow recognize.

Made to be worn, cherished, and imbued with your own story.