New Materials in Jewellery
John Moore’s Pagoda necklace, made from anodised aluminium
Alternatives to precious metals are beginning to hit the market. In jewellery, designers experiment with materials that can adapt to their concepts and provide a ‘new’ feeling. Aluminium, carbon fibre, surgical and blue steel are being embraced. Being an industrial element, it has beneficial properties, such as durability, lightness, and these materials can be upcycled.
There is also a challenge and freedom to work with these materials. One has to adapt to a different production method that could dictate the object’s form. On the other hand, the industrial properties allow for more flexibility to innovate and create works in combination with complex machinery. Designers and collectors are equally engaged and fascinated in the process of working with these newer materials.
Opals , Corian and anodized aluminium cabouchon by Lingjun Sun
Synthetic low-density materials such as aerogel, also used by Nasa are used in the earings by Hemmerle
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Why this matters
In the field of jewellery production, science and design become closely intertwined, and the hierarchy of what is considered ‘luxurious’ materials is being rewired. From gold to carbon fibre, the metals provide the taste of futurism by using new technologies.