FROM TRASH TO TREASURE

There were two long-standing wishes on my jewelry bucket list. One was to design a chain link of my own, the other was to work with color. The latter had long proven difficult, as my focus so far had been on the experimental use of metals. Yet both wishes have now come together in one piece: ARCLET.

While developing my new collection, I attended a workshop by Das Rezyklat and was introduced to the processing of recycled plastics. The design duo has established a Precious Plastic workspace in Essen, by building their own machines to shred and injection-mold plastic. Since then, they have been developing artifacts made from recycled materials — especially plastic.
Out of the impressions grew the idea to create a piece of jewelry in plastic: an offshoot of the silver collection, one that takes up familiar elements, remains connected in style, and yet radiates something entirely new.
The result was the design of a chain link, formally derived from the figure-eight link of my silver collection. Reimagined as a modular chain system of interlocking links, it can be extended or shortened at will. This flexibility is enabled by the material properties of polypropylene, sourced from discarded everyday objects collected from the streets: laundry baskets, toys, packaging waste, and more.

In the manufactory, these materials are gathered, carefully sorted by color, shredded, and reprocessed. After many color experiments, I developed three specific recipes for the first edition: two blends and one pure shade. The shredded material is injection-molded into cast parts, each containing fifteen links.
In ARCLET, a process typically associated with mass production is transferred into a manufactory setting. Each piece is delivered to the wearer in the very state in which it leaves the mold. The material and color blends, injection patterns, and sprue channels remain visible, making the process itself tangible and revealing how the piece was formed.
Every Arclet box includes all parts as a kit — inviting the wearer to detach, assemble, and complete the piece themselves. The clasp is formed by an identical chain-link element, cast in solid 925/000 silver, highlighting the contrast between the two materials’ values.

Special thanks go to Dustin Jessen and Steffen Hartwig of Das Rezyklat for technical development and casting expertise — without you, this project would not have been possible. Packaging Design: Mainusch Randerath

A short how-to video demonstrates how to assemble Arclet: Click here.