Ataraxia Casglu

Press Kit

Unique Properties

Inspired by Gothic architecture, the collection encapsulates the sublime internal atmosphere, exploiting Gothic structural details to stimulate the particular feelings and explore emotional experience. Synthetic gemstones, as a lower eco-imprint material, were cut into unusually flat surfaces to cast their colors onto the skin to enhance the vibe. Immersive exploration of the precious culture is encouraged by the collection. The jewelry acts as a media to provoke unique individual experience. The design challenged the production to realize all the details to achieve the final result.

Dimensions & Packaging

Ring No.1: 41mm x 18mm x 30mm;
Ring No.2: 28mm x 28mm x 36mm;
Bangle: 75mm x 75mm x 22mm;
Earring: 21mm x 59mm x 8mm

Tags

jewelry, ring, bangle, earring, Gothic architecture, culture, emotional experience, eco-friendly, interaction, synthetic gemstones

Production Technology

The production lasted about one month including wax curving, casting, stone cutting, model modification, stone setting, metal finishing and gold plating. Some design details were adjusted during this process. The materials are synthetic gemstones including cubic zirconia, synthetic spinel and synthetic ruby which were cut into usually flat surfaces. For the metal part, the material is goldplated silver.

Design Challenge

The challenge was to realize all the design details to achieve the best result. There were many details in the design which made it difficult to well polish all the corners without damaging. After several experiments, I finally chose sand blasting as the main metal finishing which combined with full polish of the top faces of the settings, ensuring all the details as well as giving the collection a feel of flexibility. Also, the stone cutting process went through a lot of experiments to decide the thickness to gain the best effect.

Research

The research concentrated on Gothic culture and the purchasing behavior of customers towards contemporary jewelry from books, journals, online articles and relevant market data. The research showed the potential of making the old into the new in the perspectives of market and technology. Besides, the case studies were given on market, trend and manufacture with online research and interviews, as first-hand investigations underscoring the value of the project. All the research promoted the development of the project and completed the project in the academic way.

Inspiration

The collection was inspired by ancient Gothic architecture. This traditional style is fading with time, but it can be reborn in a new way with jewelry. Combining with fashion and advanced technology, the project aims to create jewelry pieces which can make the old into a new style, discussing the potential of the traditional in the contemporary context. With the interest in the way how the Gothic vibe influences audience and based on the vast research on Gothic culture, the project also tries to provoke unique individual experience through playful interaction, exploring the relationship between design and wearers.

Project Duration

The project started in October 2017 in London and finished in May 2019 in London, and was exhibited in Central Saint Martins Degree Show in June 2019 and was awarded as Distinction. The production was finished in China.

Operation Flow

The designs were inspired from Gothic architecture. Wearers will be easily attracted by its amazing appearance with elegant details. The pieces combine the old with the new, explaining the traditional culture with contemporary fashion language. When wearing the jewelry, the beautiful lines flow with the body, the bright colors cast onto the skin, creating a poetic experience for individuals. It is jewelry, but more than jewelry. It is a combination of culture, aesthetic, fashion and emotion.

Image Credits

#1, 2, 3, 4, 5: Photographer Xiaowu Yu, 2019