The art of live jewellery is something I’m no longer readily exposed to. My sister and I, like so many other children living in rural areas with big sundrenched backyards, often amused ourselves by catching lizards. The Common Garden Skink was our main quarry, and we would wait by backyard wooden fences radiating the day’s heat, or the brick staircase leading up to the front porch, for these little lizards to creep out to warm themselves. Once we had spied a lizard, our hards would dart forth like herons snatching fish from murky rivers, returning to hold our prize aloft. Then, as the lizard would snap it’s tiny mouth open, we’d position it under our earlobes for it to latch on and dangle, legs tight against its body, a piece of living jewellery. These poor little reptiles, so incensed at the inconvenience of having had their day interrupted, once they had bitten onto something, would not let go. Eventually we would head inside after of a solid afternoon of hunting, earlobes heavy with angry little lizards refusing to let go of their prize, and I would feel like some sort of prehistoric princess. The best days were when we added a Cicada or Christmas Beetle Brooch to the ensemble. I’m not sure if Iguanas approach being picked up by tiny little children and used as jewellery in the same manner, but I imagine you’d probably lose an ear if you tried the same thing with them. #lizardearrings #livejewellery #iguana #cardboardandcableties #houlart #houl