Beatrice the Sweat Bee Bracelet

She has been on this flower for a while now and she has absolutely no plans to leave. Her face is buried completely in the center of it, her legs are going in several directions at once, and her fuzzy little bottom is pointed straight up at the sky for the entire garden to see. She is not embarrassed. She has never been embarrassed about anything in her life. There is nectar right here and she intends to get every last bit of it.

The Sweat Bee

Most people have never heard of a sweat bee, which is a shame because sweat bees are some of the most important and beautiful native pollinators in North America and they have been doing their essential work in gardens and meadows and wildflower fields long before anyone thought to give them credit for it. There are over 500 species in North America alone, belonging to the family Halictidae, and many of them are so small they are mistaken for flies. Some are iridescent green or blue, a color so vivid it looks impossible on something so tiny. All of them are extraordinary.

Unlike honey bees, which were introduced to North America from Europe, sweat bees are native. They have been here all along, nesting in the ground, pollinating the wildflowers, and visiting gardens with the quiet dedication of creatures who do not need recognition to keep showing up. They are generalists, visiting whatever flowers interest them on any given day, which means they support a far wider range of plants than more specialized pollinators. Sunflowers, stone fruits, apples, asters, mints, and hundreds of wildflowers all benefit from sweat bee visits.

Their common name comes from their habit of landing on warm human skin to drink perspiration, which they value for its salt and protein content. This sounds alarming and is in practice barely noticeable. They are docile, rarely sting, and when they do the venom causes only mild irritation. They are not interested in you. They are interested in your garden and occasionally your forearm. Both of these are fine.

The Piece

Her name is Beatrice, from the Latin meaning she who brings happiness, which felt exactly right for a bee whose entire existence is devoted to finding the most beautiful flower available and climbing directly into it.

Beatrice is buried face first in a large open blossom, her veined wings spread wide on either side of her, her body carved in careful detail from deeply oxidized sterling silver so dark she reads as almost black, the way certain sweat bees look in low light before the iridescence catches. Her legs extend in several directions in the way of a bee who is very comfortable where she is and not planning to move any time soon. The azalea flower petals cup around her in generous layers, broad and deeply textured, each one shaped by hand so no two petals are exactly alike.

On either side of the azalea flower, set into the double band of the cuff, two rose cut citrine stones glow in the warm gold of late summer goldenrod, catching the light differently with every movement of your wrist. The bracelet bands themselves were patterned using real leaves pressed directly into the silver, their veins transferred permanently into the metal as a finishing detail that rewards a close look.

The bracelet is an open cuff that slips on and off the wrist and fits a range of sizes.

The Craftsmanship

• Bracelet: open cuff, fits multiple wrist sizes
• Stones: rose cut citrine cabochons, warm honey yellow
• Material: sterling silver throughout, oxidized
• Detail: real leaf impressions on bracelet bands
• Edition: one of a kind

One of a Kind

There is only one Beatrice. This flower, these citrine stones, this particular bee in this particular state of complete contentment: they exist once. When she finds her person she will never be made again exactly like this.

A Note from Tamara

I made this bracelet because I wanted to celebrate a pollinator that most people walk right past without noticing, and also because there is something about the image of a tiny native bee absolutely buried in a flower that makes me feel completely joyful every time I see it in my garden. Beatrice has no interest in being admired. She has nectar to collect and she is very busy. I named her she who brings happiness because that is exactly what she does, in the garden and on your wrist. I hope whoever wears her feels that same simple uncomplicated joy every time they look down at her.

Shipping

Your Beatrice is finished, packaged safely, and will be on her way to you within 3 to 5 business days.