Weird, wacky and wonderful jewellery

5.2 k views | Posted September 01, 2018 |

Who said ‘jewellery’ can’t offer some seriously provocative items? Here, we take a look at various designs that are unique, quirky, or seriously bizarre…

I (avoca)do! Earlier this year, it looked as though the ‘little blue box’ would have to make way for avocados as the engagement ring box of choice. An Instagram post by a Dutch food stylist went viral after she snapped a picture of an avocado opened to reveal an engagement ring. The post was ‘liked’ over 11,000 times and at least one American took inspiration, proposing to his partner avo and all.
Living, breathing… jewellery? Scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab unveiled moveable jewellery protoypes that can ‘move’ and ‘interact’. The Kino Project is a collection of garments constructed with small robots on tracks that can perform tasks such as transitioning from a brooch to a necklace. The developers noted they hope one day these robots will be small enough to seamlessly integrate into existing jewellery pieces. Neat!
Eyeball bling Consumers can literally have their eye on jewellery all the time now, after US-based company SafeSight Jewellery produced platinum shapes that ophthalmologists can insert into a patient’s eye for some added bling. A surgeon in the US recently started offering the procedure at a cost of US$10,000 (AU$13,200); it takes five minutes with a recovery time of three days. That’s some seriously expensive eye candy!
Pretty placentas Gone are the days when keepsake jewellery was hair in a locket. Some businesses, like Beyond the Willow Tree, now offer pendants made from breast milk, placenta and umbilical cords for sentimental mothers looking to cherish their infant’s early days. While many may be turned off by the thought of bodily fluid in a pendant, jewellers are increasingly using new methods to construct such pieces to have a crystal-like appearance.
Risqué necklace London-based designer Lukas Grenwenig’s pendant received worldwide coverage when it was unveiled this year, but perhaps for the wrong reasons. The pendant, designed for UK brand Theo Fennell, first received worldwide attention when somebody noticed its resemblance to.. ahem.. female genitalia. It appears as though the designer had other things on his mind at the time of the product’s creation: “This design is inspired by the way a goldsmith assesses a stone by placing it between their index and middle finger,” Grenwenig stated.
Diamond bike This year, Harley Davidson partnered with Swiss watchmaker Bucherer to create a diamond motorbike valued at US$1.8 million (AU$2.3 m). The Blue Edition bike features 360 diamonds, includes a rotating 5.4-carat diamond ring and Bucherer watch under plated glass, as well as a personal safe for storing… diamond spanners? The shiny ride was displayed at UK department store Selfridges.
Creepy creations Quirky and obscure jewellery designs don’t just belong to costume parties or events like Halloween, according to British designer Percy Lau. Lau’s somewhat creepy designs include miniature ear earrings, tiny noses on rings and open mouths moulded into a range of pieces in otherworldly ways. The collection is just one of many belonging to small online designers who push the limits of fashion jewellery to bizarre and out of this world.
Feeling blue American jewellery company ban.do has been criticised of “romanticising mental illness” with its collection of necklaces showcasing the words ‘depression’ and ‘anxiety’. The company’s chief creative officer, Jen Gotch said she drew from her experiences with bipolar disorder and hoped the range would act as a “conversation starter” in destigmatising mental illness. Many labelled the range as ‘offensive’ on Twitter following its launch.
Million dollar ‘oh’ A $1.8 million vibrator is the most expensive sex toy ever put on the market and it was made here... Down Under. Australian business Burns Jewellery produced “the Pearl Royale” which contains over 2,000 white, blue and pink diamonds flush set in platinum. The toy took almost 15 years to make and joins Burns Jewellery’s other sensual products including an 18-carat gold “Casanova” dildo and a gold-handled whip made from human hair.
Bedazzled beetles A group of women in Mexico made headlines this year when they transformed live beetles into brooches by attaching semi-precious stones to their shells. Painted in gold and chained to lapels, the “bejeweled” beetles made the rounds on Facebook and Twitter, with many calling out the trend for being “cruel” and “in-humane”.
Nutritious designs African jewellery designer, Pamela has been making delicious jewellery under her brand Lola Ade. The artist found unique ways to expand and engage her social media audience by swapping out gemstones for fruit and vegetables. Pamela utilised blueberries, capsicum lemons in her photo series titled ‘Raw’. While the line of jewellery is just for show rather than sale, it does look scrumptious!
Scented smart rings Wearable technology engineers at Computex in Taiwan have figured out a way to combine ‘scratch and sniff’ with fashionable jewellery. The XRing operates like a smartwatch, alerting the wearer of phone notifications, but instead of vibrating to notify.. It sprays! Still in prototype form, the ring squirts perfume on the wearer to alert them of phone calls and texts. The more popular you are, the more intense you’ll smell!