Atlantica

ONE-OF-A-KIND | JEWELRY

Bracelet | Stainless Steel woven wire cloth, Diamonds, 14K White Gold, 925 Silver | 75mm width, 70mm diameter, 2mm diamonds | convert dimensions to inches

This bracelet was conceived as part of a series in which I explore folding and pleating techniques as a way to create volume, texture, pattern and rhythm. The premise of the investigation is that the folds/folding pattern make/determine the form -not a mere material treatment imposed onto a form.  The deceptively complex geometry of staggered folds is what makes the undulating pattern/defines the wavy contour.

Diamonds aren't just a decorative element but a crucial component, since they anchor the pleated mesh to the Sterling silver structure.

The stainless steel woven wire mesh provides the perfect vehicle to express the concept of an urban "fabric" (tough yet pliable, delicate but also resilient). It also illustrates the notion of a man-made industrial material (steel, the color of concrete), interacting with the natural landscape.

My inspiration for the design was the iconic wave-patterned pavement of the Avenida Atlantica boardwalk in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; which is a jewel in itself -- designed by Roberto Burle Marx, one of the most influential modern landscape and garden designers of the Twentieth Century.  

A birds-eye view of an urban landscape, with diamonds interspersed, can be interpreted as city lights, or as people -- the energy that makes an urban landscape vibrate.

The bracelet skeleton follows a sweeping organic line, and the closure mechanism mimics the peaks and valleys of the folds. A simple, hidden closure mechanism features precision engineering and complexity of design, allowing the piece to open and securely close around the wrist.