ENDANGERED: Fine Art & Photography Contest 2020 Submission

I designed and fabricated this necklace, 'Scales of Silver & Gold'in sterling silver and 23.5K gold to draw attention to the beauty and fragility of the Pangolin. This little known species is the world's only scaly mammal. They curl up into a tiny ball using their scales as protection for themselves and their babies. Their scales are made of keratin, and are highly sought after in illegal markets, making these poor animals seriously endangered; we don't even know how many still exist in the wild.

This piece was a painstaking undertaking, and is very important to me; as the world's only scaly mammal, these poor animals are killed solely for their scales, sometimes selling as high as their weight in gold. I was inspired by their plight and beauty to craft this piece and hopefully bring awareness to my community and the world. I hope this will at least spark some viewers to learn more about pangolins, we all need to do a little more to protect the animals we have left on this planet.

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