shauna mayben ― pink wattle jewellery
shauna mayben, pink wattle and little ant, 2022, sterling silver, 9ct gold, natural rose quartz
Dusted with gems and inspired by a rare wattle, the stunning new jewellery of Shauna Mayben is bathed in a magical pink glow.
It is impossible to choose a favourite. Perhaps it is the oversized ring sparkling with a raspberry-confetti of pink sapphires and diamonds in a rose-gold bezel setting? Maybe it is the lusciously large pink South Sea Pearl ring? But then, how do you go past the pink wattle brooch and necklace sprouting rose quartz buds, or the whopping Killiecrankie diamond ring!
“I am certainly not afraid of a bit of bling,” Shauna tells us with a laugh as she sets up her window display at Handmark. “I have just graduated as a gemologist, and I am a huge lover of stones. Mother nature is truly incredible.”
Shauna’s other obsession is our national plant, the wattle. And her latest collection pays homage to the unusual pink wattle. But there is another hidden delight in these works: “Tiny ants, which have a symbiotic relationship with wattle, are hidden amongst the gems. They take the wattle seeds, which they use for food, into their nest. The discarded seed remnants then safely germinate into a beautiful new plant.”
Shauna Mayben’s Pink Wattle jewellery collection is currently on display in Handmark’s windows for all to see.