Poison Hemlock is famously the plant by which Socrates was executed nearly 2500 years ago. Sentenced to death for impiety and "corrupting the youth," he was compelled to drink a brew of hemlock, which led to his death by paralysis and respiratory arrest. This plant was introduced to North America as an ornamental garden plant in the 1800s, and it quickly escaped cultivation and spread invasively across the US and Canada. It can now be seen growing by the side of the road all across the continent. These earrings were made by pressing a real dried hemlock leaf into silver. Each earring was made with a different unique leaf! The impression was darkened with a patina to show the details better. Since the patina is so important on these earrings, I have used a wax polish on the outside to preserve the contrast and protect against tarnish. Oval size: 14x23mm Materials These earrings are made entirely of sterling silver. Sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver with 7.5% copper, which is added to make the metal more durable. There is no outer plating- the metal can be polished over and over for a lifetime. Shipping All jewelry comes in gift-ready packaging, although it may not match what you see in the photos.