Aruna Wooden Earrings – Padauk Fan Drop Earrings

Aruna Wooden Earrings – Padauk Fan Drop Earrings

Aruna is the red of dawn — the colour of the sky just before sunrise. It is also, near enough, the colour Padauk comes out of the log.

This is the plainest piece we make, and that is the whole intention. One piece of Padauk, shaped into a fan: narrow at the top where the hook meets it, flaring outward with a concave sweep down each side, finishing on a wide curved base. No inlay. No engraving. No second wood. Nothing on the surface but polish.

What you are looking at is the wood itself — a deep orange-red shot through with fine darker streaks, which is Padauk's natural figure. No two fans carry the same one. The drop measures about 4 cm.

The pair weighs 5 g — the lightest thing in our catalogue.

What Aruna is made from

• Form: a fan, cut from a single piece — concave along both sides, convex across the base, roughly 4 cm
• Wood: Padauk, also known as African Coral Wood
• Colour: entirely the wood's own. Padauk is naturally this red — nothing here is dyed, stained or painted
• Findings: metal alloy hook, with a metal cap and ring joining it to the wood
• Weight: 5 g per pair
• Sold as: one pair
• Made in: India, from responsibly repurposed exotic hardwood, handcrafted by skilled artisans

Why plain is harder than decorated

Most of our designs carry a technique — inlay, engraving, joining, carving. Aruna carries none of them, and that removes the safety net.

On a decorated piece, the eye goes to the pattern. A line that runs a fraction off true, an edge that isn't quite even — the decoration absorbs it. Here there is nothing to look at except the outline and the surface, so both have to be right.

The outline is the difficult part. Every edge on this fan is a curve, and they curve in opposite directions: the sides sweep inward, the base sweeps outward. There is no straight line anywhere to measure against and no way to check the shape with a rule — it is judged by eye, and it has to match on the second earring. The two sides also have to mirror each other exactly, because a fan that leans is immediately obvious hanging beside a face.

Then the surface. Padauk is an open-grained wood, so bringing it to an even polish takes more passes than a close-grained one. Any flat spot in the curve shows up as a dull patch the moment light moves across it.

The colour will change, and that is not a fault

Padauk is unusual among hardwoods: it is at its brightest when freshly cut, and it deepens over time. Expect the vivid orange-red to settle toward a richer, darker red-brown over months and years, particularly with exposure to daylight.

Nothing is fading — there is no dye to fade. The wood is oxidising, the same way it would in a piece of furniture, and most people prefer where it ends up. If you want to slow it down, store the pair out of direct sunlight when you are not wearing them.

How to style Aruna

• Sarees: outstanding with black, cream, ivory, mustard, indigo and olive. On a red drape it will read tonally rather than as contrast — lovely if that is the intention, invisible if it isn't.
• Festive wear: Durga Puja, Navratri, Diwali, haldi and mehendi. Red does most of the work for you at a daytime function.
• Office and everyday: at 5 g this is genuinely all-day wear, and the shape is clean enough for a working wardrobe.
• Western wear: white and cream linen, black, denim, anything unfussy. The fan is a strong enough silhouette to be the only thing you are wearing.
• Skip the necklace. This is a shape that wants an open neckline and nothing competing.

Caring for your Aruna earrings

• Put your earrings on after perfume, makeup and skincare have settled
• Take them off before bathing, swimming or exercising
• Wipe gently with a soft, dry cloth after each wear — the polished surface is the whole design here, so keep it clean
• Store in the box or pouch provided, away from moisture, heat and direct sunlight
• Lift and remove by the metal hook, not by the wooden fan

Related designs

• Amrita — Padauk again, shaped as a crescent
• Oorja — a Padauk crescent above an inlaid teardrop, if you want more going on
• Varga — the same plain-shaping approach in Ebony
• Taru — hand-carved Boxwood, for a softer palette
• Rukmani — Padauk banded with Boxwood and hung below an Ebony square

Shipping

Dispatched within 2–3 working days. Free shipping on prepaid orders within India; delivery is typically 2–3 days to metro cities and 5–7 days elsewhere in India. Cash on Delivery is available at selected locations with a ₹50 cash-handling charge. Aruna ships worldwide, arriving within 5–10 days of your order — import duties and local taxes are payable by the recipient.

Frequently asked questions

Is the red colour natural, or is the wood dyed?
Natural. Padauk — also called African Coral Wood — comes out of the log this colour. Nothing on this pair is dyed, stained or painted.

Will the colour fade?
It will change, but it will not fade. Padauk deepens with time and daylight, moving from bright orange-red toward a darker red-brown. Since there is no dye involved, nothing is being lost — the wood is simply maturing.

How long is the drop?
About 4 cm for the fan, plus the hook above it.

How much do they weigh?
5 g the pair — the lightest design we make. A metal earring this size would weigh many times that.

What are the dark streaks running through the red?
Padauk's natural grain. They vary from piece to piece, which is why no two fans look identical.

Is there any inlay or engraving on these?
No. Aruna is deliberately plain — one piece of wood, shaped and polished. The shape and the grain are the design.

How do they fasten?
A metal alloy hook, joined to the wood by a small metal cap and ring.

Do they suit a red saree?
They will read tonally rather than as a contrast — which can look very considered, but if you want the earrings to stand out, choose black, cream, mustard or indigo instead.

Are wooden earrings strong enough for regular wear?
Padauk is a dense hardwood, and each pair is hand-finished and quality-checked before it leaves us. Aruna handles daily wear. What it does not handle is being dropped onto tile or stone.

What if they get wet?
Dry them straight away with a soft cloth and leave them in open air before storing. Brief contact is survivable; soaking, swimming and showering are not.

What are the hooks made of?
Metal alloy. The wooden fan itself has no plating or coating. If your ears react easily to metal, please write to us before ordering.

Will my pair look exactly like the photographs?
The shape will match. The grain will not — the streaking differs from piece to piece, and the exact shade depends on where in the plank the wood was cut.

Something arrived damaged — what do I do?
Write to us within 48 hours with photographs and your unboxing video. The video is required for damage, missing and wrong-item claims, so please film yourself opening the parcel — it is much easier than sorting it out afterwards.

Do you ship internationally?
Yes, worldwide. Orders generally arrive within 5–10 days. Import duties, customs and local taxes are payable by the recipient, not included in what you pay us.