Crystals formed from everyday materials such as salt and water (in the form of ice) can appear every bit as beautiful as precious stones, but are not particularly prized for making jewellery. This observation prompted Dutch designer Greetje van Helmond to produce a range of jewellery from sugar. The crystals that decorate the collection are grown in-situ by suspending unadorned necklaces and bracelets in a saturated sugar solution; sugar crystals begin to form naturally along the thread, growing larger over time. It can take a couple of weeks to grow the largest crystals, which are more robust than the extremely fragile ones that form in the first few days of the process. Van Helmand caller her collection Unsustainable as both a comment on today’s throwaway culture, and as an admission that jewellery made from sugar will not last particularly long if worn. For more information or to get in touch with Greetje, follow the link below.
