Thursday Salute to Originals: Delicate by Design

Antique porcelain pieces take on a new life in a series of jewelry creations.

Amsterdam-based jewelry artist Gésine Hackenberg likes to ruin perfectly good dinnerware. At least, that may be how her grandmother would see it.

Sourced from antique plates and bowls, Hackenberg has constructed delicate jewelry pieces made of porcelain disks that explore themes of fragility and identity through ubiquitous, everyday items.

Hackenberg found her inspiration for the wearable art from her grandmother’s pearls and fine china — treasured pieces of daily life that she believes represent identity in a distinct way.

“Possessions, especially personal treasures, define and represent their owner. Jewelry is, in particular, an outward sign of values that are deeply rooted in the wearer, of what people cherish, in what they believe, and what they desire,” said Hackenberg in an interview with This is Colossal.

Each finished necklace is displayed alongside its source material left full of disc-shaped holes. If a plate or bowl is damaged too severely in the process of extracting each porcelain disc, the entire piece is thrown out.

This Thursday, we’re saluting Gésine Hackenberg’s delicate porcelain necklaces. You can view more of the artist’s creations on her Instagram or website.

Sources: Gésine Hackenberg, This is Colossal