Collection: The Shape of Things

Having some fun with minimalist geometric shapes. These earrings are a combination of repurposed hardware and handcrafted hardware. Many of the pieces are made from jewelry that would have otherwise been rubished.

Basic shapes ranging from circles to hexagons hold significance in many philosophies:

Bees are one of the most efficient insects on the planet. To make a half-kilo of honey, bees must collect nectar from millions of flowers. A bee has to fly an equivalent of 145,000 kilometers, enough to circle the earth three times, to produce a half-kilo or a pound of honey The bees must have a storage system that will lessen or even eliminate wastage in storing honey.

In nature, patterns and geometry are everywhere.

Hexagon: The hexagon is the connecting center of universal coherence which ties everything together and links everything back. It teaches you more the more you look at it and reflect on it.

Since hexagon can be found throughout nature, it symbolizes harmony, structure, and balance. The hexagon is a very powerful geometric shape and is in many religious and spiritual symbols. From beehives, to the eyes of a dragonfly, to the shape of a snowflake. But you may fail to notice that the hexagon can be found in your very core.

But it seems that nature has a particular preference for the number “six”. Beehives, insect eyes, marine skeletons, rocks, etc. all have one thing in common – a hexagon. Have you stopped and look at the shape of the tortoise’s shell, a magnified snowflake, the eyes of the dragonfly are collections of reflections that forms a shape of a hexagon.

In geometry, a hexagon is a polygon with six equal sides, and for the bees, the hexagon is the perfect shape to build their homes. Based on studies done by scientists, the hexagon is the most efficient use of materials and space for the beehives. Nature and the bees seem to know this.

If you think about it, there are billions of them in our body which is mind-boggling. And we are talking about the element that make up our body – Carbon. It’s the element that is present in our DNA, the blueprint of life.

DNA dictates what will be the color of your hair, your eyes, or your skin. To put it simply, DNA is the basis for life on earth. It’s in every living thing. Without it, life is not possible.

The hexagon is a symbol of the perfect shape that allows for high efficiency whether in a beehive, the back of a turtle, the shape of the nut, or the mind-blowing eyes of a dragonfly. It’s clear that nature (and many religions) is partial towards hexagon and for it to be the shape of the building blocks of creation says a lot about its importance among all types of shapes.

Circle: Circles are among the oldest of geometric symbols, and commonly represent unity, wholeness, and infinity. In the Zen Buddhist philosophy, a circle stands for enlightenment and perfection in unity with the primal principles.

Circles are also often seen as protective symbols. The sun and/or the moon, or things associated with those bodies. The astrological symbol of the sun is a circle with a dot in the middle. The same symbol is used to represent gold, which is strongly associated with the sun.

Triangles: In Western society, equilateral triangles are seen in religious contexts and represent the trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost united. Pythagoras associated the number 3 with triangles, which is meaningful to many groups. Triangles and other three-part symbols may present such concepts as past, present, and future or spirit, mind, and body.

In some rituals a triangle the triangle might represent protection. The orientation of a triangle can be important to its meaning. Point-up triangles represent a strong foundation or stability. Earth and water symbols are formed from point-up triangles; pointing upward stands for the ascent to heaven. The point-up triangle can also represent male energy, and fire and air are masculine elements.

The point-down triangle can represent female energy, and water and earth are feminine elements. Symbols for air and fire are formed from point-down triangles; point-down triangles can represent the descent into the physical world.

Squares: Pythagoras associated the square with the number 4, and that number in many cultures is commonly associated with material things—physical elements, compass directions, and seasons. Thus, squares and crosses are often used as symbols of the material world.

Squares represent solidity, a perfection that is static, dependable, earthly and material. In Hinduism, the square represents cosmic order and the balance of opposites; in Native American religions, the square represents permanence, a safe place. In Chinese symbolism, the square represents the earth. In many many cultures, a square is a meeting place, a plaza at the heart of a city.