The Sol ShimSham Pin is a .925 sterling silver brooch built around a raw pyrite crystal, made by hand in our workshop in Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. It was the first brooch we ever made. It bridges two places we come from: the enduring symbolism of the Mexican sun, and the spirit of New Orleans and Mardi Gras. We designed it with one purpose — to add a little extra sparkle to your life. Pin it on for just another Tuesday, or wear it to celebrate Mardi Gras Day. Either way it's made with an abundance of sol, and soul. At its center we set a natural pyrite specimen, left uncut in its raw crystalline form so the mineral's texture and brilliance take center stage. We make it in pyrite and nothing else. It carries the asymmetric silhouette of our Spur — rays short on one side, sweeping to a point on the other — cut from a single sheet of sterling silver using calado, the pierced openwork technique Taxco silversmiths have used for generations. The negative space is cut away by hand, so what's left reads as a drawing in silver. Wear it on a lapel, a jacket, a scarf, a bag — or the band of a hat. We make jewelry that moves freely between art object, everyday adornment and the way you dress. Details Material: .925 sterling silver, hand-polished Construction: cut by hand from sterling sheet using calado Stone: natural pyrite, uncut, in raw crystalline form — made in pyrite only Silhouette: asymmetric spur rays Backing: traditional locking pin clasp Weight: approx. 8 g Rays: 6 flat rays in a spur, longest 27 mm, shortest 10 mm Made in: our workshop in Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico Made to order: 4–6 weeks from order to delivery Shipping: worldwide. US orders ship from Houston, Texas Care Silver is a living material and will develop a patina over time. Polish it with a silver cloth to bring back the shine, or leave it darker — we like it both ways. Pyrite is iron-based, so keep it dry and away from household cleaners and it will hold its flash. Questions Where does the name come from? From New Orleans. The ShimSham was our first brooch, and we made it to carry a little of that city's Mardi Gras spirit into a piece of Mexican silver — sol and soul in the same object. Why is the pyrite raw instead of polished? Because pyrite is more beautiful uncut. Polishing it would erase the crystalline structure that makes it what it is. Every specimen is different, so no two ShimShams are alike. Can I choose a different stone? Not on this one. The ShimSham is made in pyrite only — that's part of what it is. If you'd like the same silhouette in onyx, malachite or lapis lazuli, look at our Sol Spur Pin.
