Bugging Out

As a child, I owned an insect collection. It belonged to my brother, who spent many hours searching for beetles, bees and cockroaches and inserting straight pins into their wiggling, tragically beautiful bodies.
He went on to enter the field of dentistry (of course). I grew up to love bugs and jewelry.
There is a connection here.
I kept that bug collection under my bed for years, mesmerized as I was (and still am) by insects of all types: as long as they're not crawling up my neck or biting me, I find their make-up absolutely fascinating.

So, apparently, do a number of jewelry designers who have, through the ages, drawn inspiration from any variety of these nimble creatures. Dragon flies. Bees. Lady bugs. Although I have yet to find a piece of jewelry inspired by cockroaches, I'm sure they do exist.
Leila Tai uses gold and enamel to create an array of gorgeous adornments, some inspired by nature as below.

Chaumet, now a part of LVMH but once the official jewelers to Mapoleon, use the bumble bee as their symbol and have deftly crafted insect jewelry for centuries.

My brother's insect collection is long gone destined, no doubt, for the trash bin once I discovered more interesting life challenges. Like boys.
Insects, unlike boys, will always be a part of my life.

Leila Tai Jewelry
Available at the Aaron Faber Gallery
NYC
www.leilataidesign.com