Unbreakable beauty - animal twist on 3D printed ceramic jewellery

The key Message of the Project

Long lasting beauty products

Unbreakable concepts for durable attachments

The goal is to raise awareness about the fragility of transforming nature by turning it into a durable and strong concept : unbreakable. The plan is to experiment with 3D printed indestructible ceramic and turn it into something attractive and wearable by using this technology and a new material for jewellery.

The idea behind the project 

The vibrant animal family of Chiara Bello's Chic Pig jewellery meets the unique and inventive 3D printed indestructible ceramics of De Olde Kruyk. They share a sense of humour as well as the desire to create unique and long-lasting products.
The creative process will take two directions: aesthetic and technical. The aesthetics will emulate the metamorphosis of animals and wonderfully apply them to indestructible ceramics (which had previously only been utilised in automotive applications) to produce lovely products: the new everlasting Gramma 2.0 jewellery.

The partnership Chiara contributes skills in industrial design (MA and Msc in Industrial Design Engineering from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College, respectively), as well as knowledge and experience in establishing the Chic Pig jewellery brand (she has already produced 4 collections of animal jewellery handcrafted using the enamel and brass technique). Alf from De Olde Kruyk has decades of experience in conventional ceramics, as well as the capacity and facilities to run 3D printed ceramic machines and an understanding of unbreakable ceramic material.

How does your project contribute to the New European Bauhaus Initiative (how does it contribute to the 3 pillars: sustainable, beautiful, and inclusive)?

Inclusive: We live in a world of uncertainty, rather grey after Corona. We doubt our gender,our identity, and our futures. We want to show our core vulnerability, yet we look distant and cold. Our designs will be worn by individuals seeking conversations with others. We encourage connection by adding a fun twist, which is a distinctive trait of both of our works. People will notice the butterfly hanging from the neck or the gold and white caterpillar hugging the ear, raising questions by the viewer, noticing the details, and wondering what the story behind it is. Our designs are for everyone: no gender, no age, no category!

Beautiful: The designs are joyful, and the pieces are elegant in white and gold with a glossy quality finish, hoping to bring a little sunshine into the user's lives and into those looking at them. Chiara and Alf are boosting into the world beautiful, stylish, but also fun to wear jewellery.

Sustainable: We ensure a sustainable way of making our ceramic: which is extremely hard and biobased at the same time, a process developed over the years by Alf. The production is sustainable, with very little waste. The discarded material is reused. Chiara and Alf want to bring fun into the lives and hearts of people, with unbreakable beauty that will last for generations.