“Phantom of the Opera” Inspired
Phantom of the Opera earrings
Phantom of the Opera was the start of it all for me. I’m sad to say I only discovered this masterpiece about 5 years ago, but I fell in deep when I did. It started off with the 2004 movie adaptation starring Emmy Rossum as “Christine,” Gerald Butler as “Phantom,” and Patrick Wilson as “Raoul.” Then, I naturally transitioned into the original Broadway production. This just solidified how much I love the story and music, and I gained a whole new appreciation for the live stage show. This leads to the reason I thought up the idea for Jeweldre that I spoke about in my first post.
Since the Phantom soundtrack is what started my jewelry journey, it was only right that it should be my first inspired piece. I used this as a good excuse to rewatch the movie adaptation as I brainstormed the design for the earring. With the music in the background, I started messing around with wiring techniques I had already practiced and I came up with the perfect combination of two styles merged into one. This went with the idea that Christine’s and the Phantom’s “spirit and voice are one combined” as said in the lyrics of “The Phantom of the Opera.”
The design is a hook and dangle earring with a “drop” at the end. This is reminiscent of a chandelier in the way it sways and hangs. The drop at the end also acts as a double entendre since the chandelier does end up getting dropped (sorry, spoiler).
Now that I had the general design shape figured out, it was time for the fun part…choosing the accents. I decided on using two different types of pearls to represent the main characters. I used a black pearl with gold cracks to represent the Phantom (or Erik, for those true fans out there). He is a dark character and the black pearl reflects that. He also changes a high fee to the opera house patrons hence the gold in the pearl.
Christine, of course, had to be a white pearl. White pearls represent beauty and innocence. The pearl in the earring is inside of the drop design which makes it look like a golden halo. I thought it fit her character very well. Having both characters be represented by pearls with opposite coloring and meaning creates a juxtaposition that fits the storyline.
Lastly, I made sure not to connect the pearl elements directly. A jump ring separates the pearls to show that although the characters are closely intertwined, they can never be together. The jump ring also represents Raoul, the man Christine chooses to love instead.
The song that accompanies the earrings: “Phantom of the Opera”
