DRIED FRUIT JEWELRY
FROM THE ROOTS TO THE RUNWAY
BY LUCY RILEY PHOTOS BY ALIZA DUTT
Lemons and limes, wire and twine: with just a little time and maybe an oven, dried fruit has become a staple piece of jewelry. Sliced and dried fruit jewelry made its big debut this past summer, dangling from the ears of models, celebrities, and more.
The rise of this eco-friendly jewelry sparked its appearance in companies like Bimba y Lola and has inspired others. These staples of fashion have not only made a trending appearance but have inspired the use of fruit in other forms of jewelry. High fashion companies like Be’l Bla’k Couture were influenced by the sustainability of dried fruits and flowers, displaying these pieces in the 2023 New York Fashion Week.
The creation of beautiful and sustainable jewelry is not a difficult undertaking. All that's required is the chosen fruits, wire to form the jewelry, and an oven to dry out the fruits. Baking the fruits will dehydrate any water from the fruit, hardening it. Though it is most common to turn these fruits into a necklace or earrings, there are few design limits when it comes to fruit jewelry-making. Following simple recipes, as if making a lemon meringue pie, can lead to a bracelet or ring coming out of the oven. Many include resin in their design, but it all depends on what can be imagined and created.
Not only is it easy to make this jewelry from the comfort of your own home, but these unique pieces can also be bought online or in-person to support small businesses. There are a plethora of companies on sites like Etsy or on people’s personal Instagram pages. You can even pick up a pair of handmade earrings from your local market or festival.
There are many options and pairings to create, such as a dried strawberry necklace and earrings made of dried lime slices. When working with resources from the Earth, there are no limits. There aren’t patterns or specific rules to follow; dried fruit jewelry is entirely open to one’s imagination and resources.
