Great Blue Hole Colar by Jung Ki Min is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award de Bronce in Deseño de Xoiería Competition Category.

BronceXoiería· 2026

Great Blue Hole Colar

by Jung Ki Min

A' Design Award de Bronce Winner in Xoiería Category

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Verified Award Winner

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Great Blue Hole Colar

Great Blue Hole é un colar inspirado no sumidoiro mariño do mesmo nome en Belize. O deseño traduce unha gran paisaxe natural nunha forma escultórica portable. Compoñentes metálicos en capas elévanse sobre arames de distintas lonxitudes para crear volume dimensional e profundidade. Empregáronse técnicas de serrado, fundición, esmaltado, engaste de pedras, cicelado e repuxado para construír as formas e as texturas superficiais. O colar mide 130 mm de ancho, 15 mm de profundidade e 75 mm de alto, cun fío de perlas de 450 mm. O movemento do corpo despraza a luz a través das capas.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronce

Great Blue Hole Colar gañou o A' Design Award de Bronce, un recoñecemento altamente prestixioso outorgado a deseños sobresaíntes que se distinguen pola creatividade, o enxeño e a sagacidade. Os gañadores Bronce son artefactos amplamente hábiles e sorprendentemente creativos que autentican a vasta experiencia, imaxinación e enxeño dos seus deseñadores. Espérase que Great Blue Hole Colar sexa un obxecto moi apreciado, admirado e querido, notablemente profesional e innovador. Este deseño gañador do A' Design Award de Bronce incorpora as mellores prácticas da arte, a ciencia, o deseño e a tecnoloxía, e é excelente pola súa atención ao detalle. Great Blue Hole Colar satisfai espléndidamente as necesidades, toca os desexos, encanta os sentimentos e atrae a curiosidade.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This piece reinterprets a monumental marine formation as a wearable sculptural structure through layered metal construction and dimensional assembly. Its distinction lies in translating vast geological space into an intimate bodily dimension, where organic irregularity is balanced with controlled craftsmanship to create a tactile landscape experience.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 130 mm x Depth 15 mm x Height 75 mm
Pearl string length 450 mm
Tags: silver, necklace, jewelry, natural
Production Technology: This work involved selecting materials corresponding to the site's visual and spatial characteristics and conducting extensive texture studies. Test pieces were produced to experiment with varied surface treatments and forms. To achieve the desired atmosphere within a limited scale, appropriate techniques were carefully selected. In addition to piecing and sawing, casting, enameling, stone setting, chasing, and repousse were employed. Components were elevated using wires of varying lengths to create dimensional volume and layered depth.
Design Challenge: The primary challenge was developing a structural system capable of integrating diverse elements into a cohesive form. To achieve the intended atmosphere, careful planning was required for stone placement, setting techniques, and layering. Establishing the correct order of fabrication was critical. Through extensive trial and error, I refined the composition so that each element could coexist harmoniously while retaining its individual presence.
Research: This project represents a research process aimed at translating distinctive natural landscapes and geological formations into the form of jewelry. Through the harmonious arrangement of diverse materials and techniques, I experimented to determine the optimal color relationships, proportions, and structural balance that could effectively convey the site's atmosphere and defining characteristics. The research also explored multiple approaches to articulating organic forms within a controlled metal framework, seeking methods to express natural irregularity with clarity and precision.
Inspiration: Inspired by the Great Blue Hole in Belize, I was drawn to its ultramarine depth and the diverse ecosystems surrounding it. Through visual research and material experimentation, I sought not only to extract its visual characteristics but also to convey the site's atmosphere and sense of mystery. By combining various materials and metalworking techniques, I harmoniously translated a distant, life filled marine environment into an intimate wearable scale.
Project Duration: The project started in August 2018 in New York, USA, and was completed in May 2019.
Operation Flow: Due to its layered colors and condensed elements, the piece offers tactile detail and visual richness to both wearer and viewer. As the body moves, shifting light and depth create subtle variations in perception, inviting closer observation. By bringing a distant landscape into intimate proximity, the work provides a subtle sense of refreshment.
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Jung Ki Min, Great Blue Hole, 2019.
Image #2: Photographer Jung Ki Min, Great Blue Hole, 2019.
Image #3: Photographer Jung Ki Min, Great Blue Hole, 2019.
Image #4: Photographer Jung Ki Min, Great Blue Hole, 2019.
Image #5: Photographer Jung Ki Min, Great Blue Hole, 2019.