Will 2022 get to be the year we finally get to travel again? I know better than to set myself up for disappointment, but it’s getting harder and harder to resist the urge.
Vacationing domestically is probably all the adventure I can handle for now, but that hasn’t stopped me from daydreaming of the possibilities the next few years could possibly hold. Especially when I see jewelry like these earrings from Tessa Packard.
Peru—the place my mind instantly wanders to when presented with this image—hasn’t really been a locale at the tippy top of my list, but after the last few years, I find myself reevaluating. Those adventurous spots that I stuffed away as “maybe somedays” are becoming more urgent, both from pandemic-suppressed travel plans and the knowledge that life feels so short. As we dream of the possibilities—or even begin to make actual plans—I love the notion of wearing those plans out loud.
Packard’s mismatched pair is a porcelain alpaca opposite a blazing vermeil sun, each symbol dangling from a line of pearls. It’s the kind of whimsical panache that feels especially necessary as an addition to our wardrobes at the moment, as we wait to board those flights to places all over the world (heck, even to the next state over!).
Though the earrings won’t evoke the same thoughts of holidaying for all—in fact, they were a custom design commissioned by “a sunshine-loving South American client who owns alpacas!” Packard tells me. And it really does not get much more literal than that.
“About five years ago I started making porcelain animal earrings. The original set was inspired in part by the work of Joseph Cornell and his use of found objects, and also the writings of Philip Pullman, who imagined a world where the human soul manifested itself visibly in the form of an animal (known as a daemon),” Packard tells me. “I fell in love with this idea of a daemon and decided to create one-of-a-kind animal earrings, using each species only once to celebrate human individuality and playfulness. Over time we have expanded the collection and made several bespoke animal earrings (including these Alpaca ones). We always try and pair the animal with gemstones or objects that mirror their habitat, such as a big glowing sun in this example. In my eyes, the animal earrings series is probably one of our signature pieces as they really embody what we are all about: fun fine jewelry with soul.”
Top: Custom alpaca and sun earrings in vermeil with porcelain and pearls, price on request; Tessa Packard London
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