About

Pearls have been revered around the world and throughout history as rare, beautiful objects. Part of their allure is the fact that they are created by such an unassuming creature as the mollusk. Clams and mussels are homely individuals, and yet, from within their coarse shells come already-perfect spherical treasures that radiate iridescence. A pearl requires nothing to make it more beautiful—no other precious gemstone in the world has that quality.

According to ancient Hindu myth, the god Krishna was the first being to discover a pearl. It was the eve of his daughter’s wedding, and wanting only the best gift for Pandaia, he searched the world for something equal to her beauty. He considered giving her a rainbow halo from the Air, or a ruby from the Earth to adorn her forehead. He could have given her a meteor from Fire to light her path, but when Krishna came to the Sea, and reached down into its depths, he came upon the perfect thing. Searching the ocean floor, the god felt something round in shape, with a rough texture and ragged edge – but inside the mussel shell Krishna found the most perfect, most round, most brilliantly lustrous object he had ever seen. It was a pearl, and it was just about as beautiful as Pandaia. The story of Krishna’s gift to his daughter in the Veda was the first written record of the ancient link between pearls and marriage; many still honor this tradition today.

Artist

Roberta and Talley Starbird are a mother and daughter team designing jewelry out of their Austin, Texas, based studio. "When I was little," Talley says, "my mom and I would bond by taking crafting classes together." An avid crafter, Roberta has tried everything from knitting to quilting, but working with metal has been the most rewarding. Jewelry design grew naturally out of Roberta's interest in working with color and pattern to create wearable art.

After fifteen years working as a computer analyst for IBM, Roberta decided to focus on building her skills as a jeweler, making singular pieces for herself and for friends. "I think I became a jeweler because I like jewelry so much," Roberta says. "I liked focusing my creative ideas on that medium." After Talley graduated from college with a degree in math, the two started a business creating their fanciful jewelry together.

In her spare time, Talley loves to swing dance, and often travels to other cities for West Coast Swing conferences. She also plays soccer, and has two kittens, Walnut and Nugget, as well as two guinea pigs named Ansel and Flower Pot. Roberta reads mystery novels and often spends the evenings doing crossword puzzles with her husband. She has a corgi named Pip, "but Talley is hard at work trying to convince me to get another dog," says Roberta.

Roberta and Talley still enjoy taking metal smithing classes together, learning new techniques, honing their skills, and bonding.

Details

• 2.5" long sterling silver ribbon earrings with pearl pendants
• 18" sterling silver chain matches texture of pendant
• TLC for your sterling silver and pearl jewelry