tiny earrings

This fun pair of long earrings is created by BeadWORKS, which provides employment to rural women in Kenya. the tassel-like earrings are crafted from tiny glass beads in white and turquoise; they swing from stainless steel hooks.

Just as snowflakes are individual and unique, so too are these earrings from Siriporn in Thailand. Artisans use tiny glass beads in white and bright pink to craft snowflake shapes that swing from sterling silver hooks.

Thai artisan Angels has a creative knack when it comes to jewelry, as evidenced in these original dangle earrings. She crafts diamond shapes from sterling silver ball chain, with each tiny bead catching the light. Creamy cultured pearls complete the contemporary design.

.925 Sterling silver

These pretty, long waterfall earrings are crafted from tiny glass beads in white, scarlet, chili red and sunset; they swing from sterling silver hooks. They are made by the Pearls of the Sea Youth Group, a cooperative of young women in a remote area of El Salvador. The sales of their products help them support their families and better their education in an area with few job opportunities.

Sunny droplets of amber enclose mysterious shadows. Clasped in a sterling embrace, they dance beneath lustrous pearls. Guillermo works with silver mined in Taxco to create these lovely earrings.

.925 Sterling silver

When used in jewelry, amber beads can include a stunning arrangement of tones and hues. Natural amber ranges from yellow to deep orange. It may sometimes even have a green cast to it, as well as opaque swirls within. Because amber is the preserved resin of prehistoric trees that grew millions of years ago, it sometimes has tiny inclusions of plants and insects -- making it highly prized.