Maple Padauk and Ebony Earrings

Handcrafted earrings using three woods in one piece — Maple, Padauk and Ebony together: pale, red and near-black.

Three woods, three natural colours  ▾

A full palette without a drop of dye. Maple is naturally pale, Padauk naturally deep orange-red, Ebony naturally near-black — each deepened only by cutting and polishing. That range of colour in a single earring, with nothing applied to the surface, is the whole argument for working in exotic hardwood.

Why three is harder than two  ▾

Every additional wood means additional joins, and a join is only as invisible as the surfaces going into it. Each mating face has to be worked dead flat and dead square, because a gap of a fraction of a millimetre shows as a pale line against Ebony or a dark line against Maple — and there is no correcting it once the block is bonded.

Then the shaping happens after the joining. As a form tapers or curves, each band ends up a different width, so any drift in the original joins shows most exactly where the piece narrows and the wood is least forgiving.

Styling  ▾
  • Black, maroon, rust and deep green drapes: where the Padauk reads warmest
  • Festive and wedding wear: three tones give a piece presence without needing size
  • Plain outfits only: the earring is already carrying three colours
  • Skip the necklace: this is the focal point
Common questions  ▾

Are any of the colours painted or dyed?
No. All three woods are their own natural colour throughout the piece.

Will the three woods age differently?
Yes. Padauk deepens most, Maple yellows slightly, Ebony holds. The contrast shifts gradually over years.

Why are three-wood pieces priced higher?
More joins, more preparation, and more chances for the piece to be scrapped before it is finished.