15 January 2009

Prince Rupert Drop


Terrible picture, but quite sculptural in a way. My latest piece of jewellery. Made to a brief that encourages the 'impractical'. Well, this plays on the idea of impracticability, bordering on dangerous. It's a Prince Rupert drop whose bulbous end withstands blows, whereas break the tail-end and the whole disintegrates, demonstrating the strength and explosive fragility of glass as well as its natural sculptural beauty. King Charles 1 teased courtiers with these (he liked to give them to people to hold and then tapped the end so they pulversied in the hand), so I thought why not make a wearable practical joke. As a matter of fact, I dropped it on a hard floor and nothing happened. The one on green (if you click to enlarge) shows it more clearly.

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