I never got my ears pierced and clip-ons hurt, so I don't think about earrings that much these days. That said, my first memory of making jewellery is after a trip to Aoteoroa at age 17 where I had bought three coloured plastic split rings at a market. I realised they would hold on to my ears and could be hung upon each other, so I did it.

Coming back from Sydney to Newcastle on the train in a hot pink paisley shirt and sporting this ear jewellery the effect was impressive. A toddler was being friendly to me and I was friendly back, which would usually have been nothing special. This time, the mother thought me just too scary to trust and moved to the next carriage. Ah! The power of jewellery! It has taken me a couple of decades to go where that suggested - but I'm on the way.