Art Imitates Nature

When Los Angeles–based interior designer Susan Oster was challenged by a friend to help design a jewelry collection, she came up with an idea that would prove to be the foundation for Feral Jewelry, which debuted in summer 2016. The initial sketches were conservative, she says. When the partnership with her friend didn’t pan out, Oster asked herself what she, herself, would do unrestrained. The result is a stunning collection of pieces using antlers, recycled fur, fossilized shark teeth, silver, gold, and diamonds. The collection, which Oster showed at last week’s Metal & Smith show in New York City, is not for everybody, she concedes. Not every person can wear fossils and parts of dead animals. However, the collection also features gold, silver, and diamond pieces inspired by shapes you’ll find in nature. “By mixing natural elements, such as recycled fur, fossils, and wood, with fine metals and diamonds, the natural and animal are elevated to the status of the gem,” says Oster. “And by wearing these ancient, beautiful reminders of our own mortality, we are more connected, appreciative, and aware of the natural world.”