Leaf Capiz Earrings

Handcrafted by artisans in the Philippines, these earrings of wafer-thin leaf motif pieces are made from capiz, the thin shell of a marine mollusk. First artisans wash and soak shells. After the shells have dried, they are cut into shapes and edged with metal wire. A finishing coat of varnish completes this labor-intensive process. Before glass windows became available in the Philippines, capiz was used for windows in houses.