Insect-fabulous

Today I was outside in the blistering heat, which was well over 100 degrees. As I am about to zone out into la la land, an irritating little bug landed on my arm. After watching it for a few seconds, I realized that I really do hate bugs and quickly flicked him off my arm. Now most people probably share my annoyance, but as fabulous jewelry designer Yumi Masuda points out, "Insects are the ones that bring happiness to the earth." Just wait til you see these beautiful pieces she has created. It might just change your mind.






A little bit about her and the process...
Yumi Masuda was born in 1975 in Japan. After working for an advertising firm, she resigned last year to start her company Agri. Derived from the latin for field, Agri is a very fitting name for her collection of fabulous little bugs. Each piece is individually created from her handmade gravers that were heated and hardened to fit her specific patterns.


She has dozens of these tools. Aren't these awesome!? Each one is sharpened carefully on a whetstone to finish. Just think of all the possibilities with sterling silver pendants and other stamping projects if you had a set of these.



Once the tools are done, she gathers her silver and copper, oxidizing them to create Sasabuki (metal sv925. Then she hammers and shaves down each lump to a prototype of the insect she is working on. At which point, she then knocks her graver tools into the mold with a hammer called a Otafuku. This process is repeated for each piece, as no casting is done.

With fine, delicate legs, and soft, airy wings.
From leaf to leaf, from flower to flower.
They busy themselves in carrying pollen and seeds.
Insects are the ones that bring happiness to the earth.
That bring bloom and harvest to us.
Wishing to have these lovable insects felt much closer to you.