"Mystique" Ancient Fossilized Walrus Tusk Silver Maori Hook Earrings

These Maori inspired hook earrings take the traditional New Zealand Maori hook shape and streamline it with wave motif accents, plus a touch of fossilized ivory.

• Hand carved fossilized walrus ivory centers
• Sterling silver details and setting
• Sterling silver stud back and butterfly closure

Width 3/4" x Height 1 1/8" (approx)

Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.

SF884

Maori Jewelry – Fossilized Ivory and Silver Hook Earrings

Zealandia founder and lead designer, Jenny Byrne, grew up on the beaches of New Zealand, a nation steeped in its native Maori culture and lore. It is no surprise that these Maori hook earrings are uniquely inspired by Jenny's earliest memories and by the powerful symbolism that the Maori hook has come to hold for so many. In Maori culture, the hook shape, or matuau, represents prosperity thanks to its link to the ocean's abundance. The hook shape is also carried as a talisman for protection in water journeys. 

These hook earrings feature an added nod to the aquatic life with their wave motifs rendered across sterling silver detail. The wave motif makes a regular appearance in the Zealandia jewelry line, and it is uniquely suited to this fish hook design.

The centers of these earrings are hand carved from fossilized walrus ivory, which is some 500 to 3,000 years old. The native Yupik of St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, have the exclusive right to gather the fossilized walrus ivory we use in our designs. This precious ancient material is an important part of the Yupik's economy and heritage, and it is the inspiration behind many of our most beloved jewelry pieces. Fossilized walrus ivory takes on a range of tones from cream to deep cocoa, depending on the minerals surrounding it in the soil. After centuries lying buried in darkness, it comes to light in these stunning hook earrings.