Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Growing Jewelry: Is Green the New Gold? + Origami Tea Bags Designed To Expand As Tea Steeps


With the rampant urbanization of our society, is a little patch of green becoming just as valuable as precious materials like diamonds and gold? Icelandic designer Hafsteinn Juliusson raises that question with his evocative line of “living” accessories called Growing Jewelry. The series of rings containing live moss ask us to rethink our modern definitions of luxury and our relationships to the physical objects that populate our lives. These rings require the same kind of care as any plant, becoming more vibrant and “valuable” as their owners allow them flourish. The retail environment resembles the minimalist design of a greenhouse, repurposing the lightning as “grow” lamps that simultaneously showcase and nurture the jewelry being displayed.



Russian designer Natalia Ponomareva has developed an origami bird tea bag concept, designed to expand as the tea steeps. While not yet in production, Ponomareva has expressed interest in making the concept available for commercial use.

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