Audrey Botha, founder of Papillon Belle says;

“Butterflies have always been a source of inspiration to me.

When I inherited two antique brooches made with real butterfly wings from my Grandmother, it sparked the idea for my new range of jewellery. The brooches date back to the Victorian era and I became very interested in how you can take something as transient as a butterfly, which only lives from between a single day and four weeks, and immortalise it in a piece of jewellery that can be passed down three generations.

I wanted to create a range of timeless, classic pieces that could become family heirlooms at a time when disposable consumables seem to dominate our world.”

The result is a unique range of jewellery made from exotic butterfly wings set in sterling silver. Some of the wings are magically iridescent and constantly change colour as they interact with light. In the pendants, both the front and back of the wing are visible and these are usually completely different.

All pieces are hand-made in South Africa.”