The bold and super lightweight KATHATHU drop earrings are sustainably handcrafted from layered waste magazine paper. Dipped in varnish for durability, and finished in brass.
Dimensions: L6xW2xD0.3cm.
Care instructions: Please treat with care.
All efforts are made to present products accurately, but lighting, background and models impact perception of colours and sizes. We are happy to provide tailored answers to queries prior to purchase, to ensure this product is right for your needs and to minimise the chances of a return.
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All earrings come mounted on a presentation card. All earring hooks and studs are brass or brass with silver plating; they are nickel, lead and cadmium free. When coming up with their 'paper wood' collection, Quazi Design were experimenting with layering the magazine pages using water-based glue. The resulting shapes were raw and unfinished, and needed much more refining and developing. Inspiration struck when founder Doron was collecting wooden displays for their local retail shop in Swaziland from a local carpenter and she thought – why not treat it like wood? Using a sander, saw and drill, paper was brought back to its original form as wood. Using local skills and accessible tools, Quazi Design have created an innovative material and a beautiful finished product. Water-based varnish is used to enhance durability. The artisans make each product by hand, with minimal water, basic tools and sunlight. As much as possible the materials are locally sourced and environmentally friendly. When designing their products, Quazi Design aim to keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life. Paper is the traditional material for 1st wedding anniversary gifts. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, of historical and enduring importance because of its hardness and workability. Brass offers superior recyclability and overall environmental advantages as it can be recycled an infinite number of times with no loss in properties or performance.
Our partner Quazi Design focus on developing new and innovative techniques using only waste paper and want to change the perception of recycled materials. They transform these waste magazines and newspapers into original designs, using simple yet pioneering workshop techniques. Born in 2010, out of a partnership between a designer and the local magazine distributor, Quazi Design aimed to create much needed employment in Eswatini, Southern Africa. What started as a trial in design for social impact has become a small thriving business with a solid community of local women artisans. Quazi Design believe in sustainable design, ethical production, transparency, and craftsmanship. Their products are all handmade by women that are employed full time at their workshop with permanent contracts. A founding member of SWIFT, Swaziland fair trade, Quazi Design are an active advocate for fair trade principles. AURA QUE's Laura and Quazi Design founder, Doron, met at a trade show in 2017. Learn more about the artisans who make Quazi Design jewellery here.
