The Dewdrop Ear

For my birthday, I wanted to make something that felt more like me.

I had my ears pierced at twelve, at a Korean hair salon in Flushing with my mom. At the time, it was a common aesthetic among Korean idols to place the piercing close to the outer edge of the lobe, so the earring would sit almost flush with the curve of the ear. My lobes were small and thin, and that placement never worked well with the oversized bamboo hoops I wanted so badly to wear. People would comment on how low the piercings sat, as though my earrings might fall out at any moment.

This time, I wanted to stop correcting or hiding the placement and design around it instead.
I began with 1.10 cttw Portuguese-cut diamonds, drawn to their intricate, multi-layered faceting that creates exceptional depth and an unmistakable kaleidoscopic brilliance. Set in molten metal bezel settings, each stone was linked to a marquise diamond droplet, creating the first flowing trail along the edge of the ear. I then added two pave diamond ear cuffs that hug the conch: one finished with a suspended round and marquise drop, the other with a single marquise.

Together, the stones fall from the ear like dew cascading at the edge of a leaf. What once felt like a misplacement became the foundation for the entire design. A personal project built around a perceived limitation, reclaimed.