Collection: Bee Jewelry

What the bee stands for

Abundance and community, in that order. The bee is one of the oldest symbols of productive work — it appears on Napoleon's coronation robes, on Manchester's coat of arms, and in Egyptian iconography where bees were said to have come from the tears of Ra.

What makes it a good personal symbol is the scale mismatch. One bee is nearly nothing. The hive keeps a third of the food supply going. It's the symbol for people whose contribution is easy to overlook and impossible to remove.

Honey, hexagons and the details

Bee jewelry often carries the honeycomb hexagon alongside the insect, and the hexagon has its own logic: it's the most efficient way to tile a plane, which bees arrived at without being told. Designs that use it tend to read as geometric rather than cute, which suits people who find literal bees a bit twee.

Choosing a piece

The sterling silver pendant is small, which is the point, and it layers well. Sterling silver studs are the most discreet version and the one most often given as a gift. The black and gold crystal bee earrings, on leverbacks, have more presence. And the adjustable bracelet puts the bee on your wrist, where you'll see it while you work — fitting, for a symbol about persistence.

What you're buying

925 sterling silver for the pendant and studs; gold or silver plate for the crystal bee earrings and bracelet. Every listing names its metal, and the earrings are nickel-free.

Plated pieces last longest with a rest day and a wipe-down; sterling patinas and polishes back. Our jewelry cleaning guide has the rest.

Mystic Soul Jewelry — Canadian small business, Calgary, Alberta, since 2008.