Lunar Rain: Designing Our Octopus Jewellery

When designing the Octopus jewellery pieces I tried my best to capture the movement of the octopus’s arms by arranging them so that they were gracefully curved and balanced on either side even though the design is asymmetric. I especially enjoyed painting the curves on the ends of the arms. Every tentacle curve is different, suggesting that the octopus is capable of a wide range of movement. I considered adding gemstones to the eyes but decided not to, in order to draw the viewer’s attention to the dendritic agates and the moonstones.

Curious facts about octopuses:

• Octopuses can escape from their aquarium tanks and find their way back to the ocean. See the story of Inky the New Zealand octopus who escaped through a drainpipe.

• Octopuses can turn off the lights. See the story of Otto the octopus from the Sea Star Aquarium in Germany who would repeatedly turn off the lights by shooting water at them after the aquarium staff trained him to aim and squirt water at visitors.

• Octopuses are highly intelligent. Take a read through this Aquarium Workers of Reddit thread for more entertaining stories about smart octopuses.

• All octopuses are venomous. Although most of them are not fatally dangerous. The blue-ringed octopus is one of the most poisonous creatures on the planet. Their venom is potent enough to kill 26 people in minutes. Their venom contains the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin, which causes respiratory arrest. This toxin is also found in pufferfish. the venom blocks nerve signals causing muscle numbness, this then leads to muscle paralysis causing respiratory arrest.

• Octopus arms have a mind of their own. Two-thirds of an octopus’ neurons are located in its arms; not its head.

• Octopuses have three hearts. Two of the hearts move blood beyond the animal’s gills, and the third keeps circulation flowing for the organs.

• Octopus blood is blue because it has a copper-based protein called hemocyanin. 

• Octopuses have short life spans. Some species only live for 6 months. The giant Pacific octopus lives between 3-5 years. The male octopuses die shortly after mating. The female octopuses die shortly after their eggs hatch.

• Octopuses lay tens of thousands of eggs. The amount of eggs varies between species. Some octopuses can lay up to 200,000 eggs.

• Octopuses are the source of inspiration for various monsters in many stories and legends. The Kraken is the most famous of the monsters. 

• Octopuses are carnivores. Their diet includes clam, snails, shrimp, crab, lobster, fish, shark and etc. 

• The octopus is found in coastal waters in all continents and oceans on Earth. 

• Octopuses can communicate with each other by changing their colour.

See the finished works of art below. Octopus jewellery pieces are made of 18k gold with dendritic agate and moonstone.