OBSCURA Ear Alchemy: In Conversation With Tamila Purvis and Creative Director Sarah Munro
Inspired by the beauty and perils of Australia’s Great Southern Reef, SARAH & SEBASTIAN’s newest Ear Alchemy capsule is an extension of the immersive OBSCURA collection dedicated to anatomy-specific piercing and elevated ear styling.
From Sarah & Sebastian's Sydney based studio, a hub of creativity where jewellers create bespoke pieces, we sat down with Tamila and Sarah to take a deep dive into their inspirations and collaborative approach, their favourite pieces to create standout ear compositions, and what’s next for our luxury Ear Alchemy service.
ON CREATING A DEDICATED EAR ALCHEMY COLLECTION INFORMED BY TAMILA'S EXPERTISE
TAMILA: Creating a capsule for our piercing and styling service allowed us to elaborate on some of our favourite designs from the OBSCURA collection. We wanted to focus on creating considered, intentional pieces for unique piercing placements, including rook and daith piercings.
SARAH: Tamila's extensive knowledge of ear anatomy and piercing, combined with her eye for creativity, brought a fresh perspective to the design process. Together with the design team, we approached earring design from a more functional angle, while also having fun pushing the boundaries of design and exploring new ways to create one-of-a-kind pieces for a variety of piercing locations.
ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KELP AND HOW IT INSPIRED THE COLLECTION
SARAH: The OBSCURA collection celebrates the fluidity and organic movement of golden kelp. The nature of these three-dimensional designs accentuates the curvatures of the ear, and we wanted to explore this even further with OBSCURA Ear Alchemy. Throughout this capsule, the pieces have a depth with subtle folds and a considered use of diamonds, making the collection feel really elevated and luxurious.
TAMILA: We aimed to create movement with these pieces and design silhouettes that could universally fit different ear anatomies. We considered every detail down to the half millimetre—each setting, curve and line, the direction each piece would sit on the ear, and its proportions in relation to specific ear placements. For example, the Ecklonia Daith Hoops and Perennial pieces were designed to embellish larger surface areas and integrate with the ear, following its natural curves rather than falling away.
ON THEIR COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO DESIGN
TAMILA: The design process was very collaborative and it felt like an organic evolution of the designs. Each piece is an extension of the original designs but with added movement in shape and form. Sarah and I also loved the idea of embracing imperfection. We thought about the subtle asymmetry of the pieces worn on their own or styled together to create truly unique ear compositions.
ON THEIR FAVOURITE PIECES AND HOW TO STYLE THEM
SARAH: I love the Perennial trio, especially the huge Perennial I Cartilage Earring. They were intentionally designed to sit together and it creates this beautiful bold diamond look when all three are styled in one ear.
TAMILA: I’m a huge fan of the Urchin Rook Threadless Earring. Before this piece, I had yet to see a designed approach to rook jewellery. Most designs on the market are either very dainty and simple or urban and industrial looking. I don't think anyone has embraced this specific placement from a luxury lens and I think ours is really elevated with subtle movement and natural diamonds. The Tiny Urchin Cartilage Earring and the Urchin Cartilage Earring are also just so spectacular. They have this old-world kind of glamour to them, with a modern edge. I also feel like they have a unique way of sitting on the curvatures of the ear, which makes them extra special.
ON THE FUTURE OF EAR ALCHEMY
TAMILA: We’re continuing to expand our Ear Alchemy piercing service across Australia; our next Piercing Lab will open with our new Perth store in August, which is the first time we’ll be offering this service in Western Australia! We're also refurbishing our Armadale location in Melbourne soon, which will include a dedicated Piercing Lab.
SARAH: There will be more dedicated Ear Alchemy collections on the horizon, but for now we have some new services in the works that will offer a truly holistic approach to our luxury piercing service. Watch this space and follow us at @EarAlchemy for announcements!
Shop the OBSCURA Ear Alchemy collection here.
