PLASTIC

History

But by far the most revolutionary of the modern materials to be invented, and the most influential on the development of true costume jewelry, were the plastics. The earliest plastics were discovered in the mid-19th century, and were made from cellulose, the natural fiber of plants. The discovery by scientists that cellulose could be extracted and then reconstituted into a substance that was malleable when liquid but hard once set was a breakthrough, with far-reaching implications for jewelry production, and society, that were unimaginable at the time. [1]

Lucit was a plastic that was first manufactured in the 1930s as a protective coating or safety bonding for glass, and replaced glass in World War II Spitfire Fighter Plane canopies. [2] the clear acrylic plastic branded as Lucite became a wildly popular material for costume jewelry in the 1940s and ‘50s. Less expensive to produce than Bakelite, Galalith, and Catalin and more chemically stable than celluloid, Lucite made these earlier jewelry plastics obsolete.

In its pure form, genuine Lucite is translucent, resembling glass or rock crystal, but it can be dyed in a wide range of colors and opacity, making it the perfect material for bold blocks. Hard, water-resistant, and lightweight, Lucite can be carved and polished, and it is easy to wear. [3]

In the early ’60s, the concept of disposable culture became something to celebrate, as seen in the cheap mod fashions. Mass-produced plastic jewelry was all the rage among the trendy, as Lucite was turned into fake-looking flower pins, as well as bracelets made of mahjong tiles. At the same time, geometric Space Age fashion by haute couture.

Costume and “junk” jewelry fell out of favor in the ’70s, even as Lucite was used in disco platform shoes. But acrylic jewelry made a comeback in the 1980s when garish, artificial-looking neon-colored pieces came into fashion. The creative uses of plastics were endless. Before long, they were used to imitate various types of organic matter, from coral to tortoiseshell. Plastics were appreciated as materials in their own right, however, and as so often with major shifts in design or taste, it was a combination of different social factors that made plastics such as Bakelite significant in the jewelry of the Art Deco period and subsequent years. [4]

 original from National museum collection

Photo credit: Nationalmuseum

This ring designed by Swedish designer Siv Lagerstöm, born in 1935. Lagerstöm was a silversmith during the in the late 1960. She started to make them herself by hand but later changed her production and outsources it to Gravyrverken Sollentuna, where the rings were produced until 1974.  [1]

Lagerstöms rings made with by skillfully cast resin. It is most likely that Lagerström started with a raw acrylic round rod. A hole was drilled into the rod to make the hole for the finger and excessive material was removed. Another hole was drilled on the top of the top of the ring. This hole is the place where a colored resin was cast, this relatively simple technique gave the rings an optical color illusion.

These rings where a sign of the times of the 1960, a time when op art was popular. Op art, short for optical art, is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions.[5] Op art works are abstract, with many better-known pieces created in black and white. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images, flashing and vibrating patterns, or of swelling or warping.

re-designed RING

RE-DESIGN

In redesigning this ring, I have chosen to start the process in the same way as Lagerström, with an acrylic rod. A 20 mm stone was purchased and 3d scanned to get the exact structure and measurements of the stone’s facets. A CAD model was made of the basic acrylic ring and the stones shape was extracted from the rings shape, creating a perfect setting for the stone. The ring was milled using CNC techniques.

Today’s development in 3d scanning, small affordable home scanners can generate models that has am accuracy of 0.1 mm, this are opening up new possibilists for jewelry designers. A 3d scanner. The ring was polished using Zam polishing compound that was specially developed for plastic, giving the pieces a clear surface.

process picture

3d-model of redesign

Footnotes

[1] Jewelry from art nova to 3d printing. P 20

[2] https://sumaris.com/blogs/news/the-history-of-lucite-in-costume-jewelry-and-in-sumaris-necklaces

[3] https://www.collectorsweekly.com/costume-jewelry/lucite

[4] Jewelry from art nova to 3d printing. P 20
[5] https://helensjoyeria.com/2020/07/22/siv-lagerstrom/

This project was made possible with the support of