Bright Brass Token Earrings by Cat Bates

These simple brass earrings wear in beautifully with time. Each pair are sand cast by Cat Bates as a long bar, then cut to length and ground smooth.  The post backs have a large silver pad for comfort against the ear, and a domestically made silver keeper.

Cat Bates grew up spending his summers on Monhegan Island and his winters in a rustic cabin in Palermo, Maine. The brutality and beauty of nature became an essential part of his aesthetic and world view. Both of his parents were artists who gave him access to tools and materials, encouraging him to make toys and playhouses for himself.  

At thirteen, he started to study metalsmithing and he began working as a professional jeweler in 2004, and then graduated from Maine College of Art in 2009 with a BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design.

His designs often reference hardware found in sailboats, as well as natural forms and geometry. He envisions his jewelry being worn everyday, the patina changing over time.

Earrings are brighter than they appear in the photos.