Sometimes I ask my husband for inspiration on “what to design next”. Recently, he suggested a Seven Wonders of the World theme, which I found an intriguing idea. However, when I started poking around the internet to familiarize myself with the list of seven world wonders, I discovered that there are actually many lists, and also some controversy about what constitutes a “Wonder of the World.” Some of these lists include only “ancient wonders”, others “natural wonders,” and even others “wonders for profit.” I decided to pick and choose from the various lists to put together a list which goes chronologically from ancient to modern and includes man-made triumphs as well as natural wonders, and wonders for profit among the midst.
The list I came up with follows:
1. Pyramid of Giza (Ancient World Wonder)
2. Chitzen Itza (World Wonder/Monument for Profit)
3. Torre de Belem (Seven World Wonders of Portugal, my country of origin)
3. Taj Mahal (Medieval World Wonder)
5. Bell Rock Lighthouse (Industrial World Wonder)
6. Golden Gate Bridge (Modern World Wonder)
7. Grand Canyon (Natural World Wonder)
I decided to do a series of earring designs based on each of these world wonders. The first world wonder, the Great Pyramid of Giza, is the only ancient world wonder still in existence today:
Built as a tomb for the fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharoah Khufu, this pyramid took over 20 years to build and was completed around 2551 BC. For over 3800 years this pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world!
My design is inspired by both the pyramid shape and the warmth and golden tones of the surrounding sand and landscape:
In addition, I decided to incorporate lapis lazuli inlay and channel-set diamonds. Lapis lazuli inlay was commonly found in jewelry of this period; faceted diamonds certainly were not. However, I felt that the diamonds added balance and richness to the overall design.
Come back tomorrow to learn about Chitzen Itza and see the design that was inspired by this world wonder.
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