Eternità – The Story of Eternity Captured in Jewellery

Few fruits have captivated the human imagination quite like the pomegranate. This unique fruit—an ancient symbol of life, fertility, rebirth, and eternity—has appeared in myths for millennia.

Where Myth Bears Fruit

In Greek mythology, Persephone, goddess of spring, was abducted by Hades, ruler of the underworld. There, he offered her pomegranate seeds—and by accepting them, she forever bound her fate to both realms. The ancient Greeks saw in this tale the explanation for the cycle of the seasons: each year, Persephone returns to the surface—nature blooms—before descending once more into darkness, and winter falls. The pomegranate thus became a symbol of life and death, beginning and end, and eternal return.

Of course, this is only mythology—ancient storytelling—but it beautifully illustrates how deeply this fruit has fascinated humanity through the ages. Perhaps that same power still inspires many artists today.

Blooming, Ripening, Fading – and What Is Born Along the Way

This timeless symbolism was the inspiration behind my jewellery collection, Eternità (“Eternity”), which tells the story of the pomegranate’s growth through three jewellery pieces: a bracelet, a pair of earrings, and a necklace. The bracelet evokes a flower, the earrings suggest the fruit in its earliest formation, while the necklace depicts a branch bearing fruit in different stages—ripening, ripe, and overripe. These stages reflect the phases of our lives, our personal development, and the beauty and the power of passing time.

In the autumn of 2024, I spent long weeks studying pomegranate trees—sketching their leaves, blossoms, and fruit—while reflecting on how to translate the spirit of this remarkable tree into wearable pieces. I chose brass as the base material, not only for its sustainability and natural feel, but also because its rich, warm colour and evolving surface patina beautifully echo the message of the collection.

Imprints of Hammer and Soul

Each piece was first hand-drawn, then carefully cut from brass sheet using a jeweller’s saw. The fine vein details in the leaves were created using acid etching, while the rustic textures on the petals and fruit surfaces were made with a technique similar to silver reticulation. The organic forms were shaped with hammers and doming tools, while the branch structures and base forms were crafted from brass wire in varying thicknesses. I used my own hand-made texture hammer to create a bark-like surface, enhancing the natural feel.

Once all the components were finished, I spent time experimenting with the final composition—rearranging the pieces until the perfect balance emerged, which I then soldered together piece by piece. During the brass-cleaning process, a reddish hue often appears on the surface due to the release of copper content—normally removed by a special treatment. But this time, I deliberately left it, as it harmonizes beautifully with the warm red tones of the pomegranate.

For the final touch, I set a cabochon stone in the centre of the flower on the bracelet and strung garnet beads onto one of the fruits in the necklace—suggesting the glittering seeds of a bursting ripe pomegranate.

Time Captured in a Jewel

For me, Eternità is more than a jewellery set. It’s a story about time, about growth, about the beauty of change—and also a tribute to Maltese tradition. Here, the pomegranate is not only a symbol but a part of the landscape and daily life, a fruit enjoyed across generations, fresh or turned into sweet liqueur.

This special jewellery set is also my entry in Malta’s national artisan award of this year, Premju Ġieħ l-Artiġjanat Malti. After passing the preliminary jury selection, the competition has now reached the public voting stage.

If this story touched you…

If this story and the piece spoke to you, I would be truly grateful for your support: please visit the official online voting page and vote on my work!

Here’s how to vote:
Click the link below—this will open the online voting form. Entries are organised by category. My work, Eternità, is listed in Category F – Non-Precious Materials, marked with my name (Adrienn Bartolich).
To move forward and submit your vote, one entry must be selected in each category. At the end, just click to submit.

This is the link to the online voting form: Premju Ġieħ l-Artiġjanat Malti 2024 – People’s Choice Award

 

Thank you so much for reading and for your support—it means a great deal to me! ❤️

If you’d like a glimpse behind the scenes, feel free to follow me on Instagram – I’ve already started sharing behind-the-scenes videos of the making process, and I’ll keep posting more in the coming days and weeks. And I will share the award ceremony too!

My Instagram: @artofnaturejewellery

I hope this small journey brings you closer to the beauty of this extraordinary fruit, and perhaps, to the quiet and meaningful wonders of the natural world around us. 💛