Aurelia Ant on Her Bloodroot Pin

Somewhere in the woods behind your home, there is a patch of wild bloodroot that takes your breath away every spring. You did not plant it. Nobody did. Aurelia did.

Meet Aurelia

Most people walk through the spring forest without ever wondering how it got there. How did that bloodroot end up growing in exactly that spot? Who decided that this particular patch of forest floor needed a sweep of white flowers every April? The answer, almost always, is an ant.

Aurelia the ant is part of one of the most quietly extraordinary partnerships in the natural world. Bloodroot plants produce their seeds with a tiny white appendage called an elaiosome attached to them, packed with fats and proteins that ants find completely irresistible. Aurelia carries the seed all the way back toward her nest, eating only the elaiosome and leaving the seed itself behind in her colony's compost heap, a rich little pile of broken down plant material that turns out to be one of the most perfect places on earth for a seed to germinate.

The bloodroot does not end up there by accident. It ends up there because it evolved over thousands of years to make itself irresistible to ants like Aurelia. The elaiosome is not a coincidence. It is an invitation. And Aurelia accepts it every single time, never knowing that in doing so she is planting a forest.

This is myrmecochory, one of the most beautiful words in the natural world, and one of the most important relationships in the spring forest.

The Brooch

This brooch tells the complete story of the bloodroot plant from top to bottom in a single piece of jewelry you can pin wherever feels right. At the top the bloodroot flower opens its detailed white petals above the scalloped leaf where Aurelia sits, darkly oxidized so she stands out against the silver. Below the leaf the twisted stem reaches all the way down to the root, and hanging from the very bottom is a tiny seed, waiting to be found by the next Aurelia who comes along. From flower to root to seed, the entire lifecycle of one of the most extraordinary spring ephemerals captured in 2.75 inches of sterling silver.

Every single element was made entirely from scratch from melted sterling silver and shaped entirely by hand. Nothing in this piece was cast. The brooch has a sterling silver pin post and pin back so it is ready to wear the moment it arrives.

• Length: 2.75 inches from flower to seed
• Pin: Sterling silver pin post and pin back
• Material: Sterling silver throughout

Looking for a Necklace Instead?

Aurelia's companion Antoinette was made at the same time and features the same bloodroot and ant story as a pendant necklace. If you would rather wear your love of spring ephemerals around your neck than pin it to your lapel, Antoinette might be exactly the right choice for you. Both pieces were made together but every element of each was formed individually from melted silver, making them companions rather than copies.

One of a Kind

There is only one Aurelia in the world. When she finds her home she will never be made again exactly like this.

A Note from Tamara

When I made Aurelia I kept thinking about how the bloodroot plant evolved over thousands of years to make itself irresistible to ants. It did not wait to be discovered. It developed an elaiosome, a tiny, perfectly designed treat, just to ensure that ants like Aurelia would carry its seeds somewhere wonderful. There is something almost hopeful about that. The idea that you can put something beautiful and nourishing out into the world and trust that the right creature will come along and carry it exactly where it needs to go. I hope Aurelia finds exactly the right home.

Shipping

Aurelia and her bloodroot are finished, tucked into a gift box, and will be on their way to you within 3 to 5 business days.