My jewellery functions

 Social Status

My jewellery pieces can be defined as a social status to a person who likes wearing recycled jewellery, or imagining about having an item that is recycled on their body. My jewellery pieces are a personal ornament of saving the environment by creating jewellery that will send a strong message to society like the “Multi-layered” jewellery brooch of  Mario Albrecht in Figure 1, which is made with plastic bags and foils. The jewellery pieces that I design or make are a symbol of social status. 

Figure 1 -  Albrecht. M. 2016. Brooch "tagged", Polyethylene (plastic bags & packaging film), silver, dental steel.

Metcalf (On the Nature of Jewelry,1998) says, "Probably the most important subtext of jewelry is to mark social identity and status. Adornment has always been used to either distinguish or merge the wearer with social groupings"  Metcalf's statement expresses a lot of information, but looking from what is happening in society now, most of the people in our days are wearing recycled jewellery as a new fashion trend of awareness in "Eco-warriors".

Cola-Cola Plastic

 Melting Coca-Cola Caps

Cola-Cola caps are still amongst the best plastic to be used on my projects, the cherry red contrast has more accessible elements on a jewellery piece like the PlatAfrica bangle. I have provided some pictures to show how the cherry red plastic is achieved when melting Cola-Cola caps inside the oven kiln seen in figure 1.

Figure 1 - Mbeje A. 2020. raw plastic oxidized plastic. Cola-Cola  melted caps, 

Figure 2 - Mbeje A. 2020 raw plastic. Cola-Cola Caps prints, 

If you melting plastic caps at the correct temperature at the oven kiln, you will see the printing of Cola-Cola in the plastic mold as seen in figure 2. Cola-Cola Caps are made of HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene). I have been testing plastic caps for months and I have found that coke bottle caps are melting at a great temperature of 200 to 231c. however, if the plastic is melted inside the mold as seen in figure 1, it does not get enough air to start to oxidize.

"i refuse" means what?

Figure 1 - Mbeje A. 2020. "i refuse". Platinum Piercing 

I had a lot of word phrases that could have been used for this jewellery piece like "i believe"and "i resist", but I choose to use "i refuse". 

The reason why I decided to use "i refuse" on my PlatAfica bangle, I was busy doing research on Zakes Bantwini's career, I came across this quote from Israelmore Ayivor “Refuse to become a victim of your circumstances and give a lift to your potentials each and every day against the wish of any obstacle you encounter!”, after reading this quote I was able to understand his tribulations that he had to face in order to achieve in his career and goals as a musician, from having a child at the age of 14 years.

Despite facing the challenges of being a teenage father and also have to matriculate in high school. He had to refuse, resist, and believe. 

PlatAfrica - “i refuse” Bangle

 

“i refuse” Bangle

Figure 1 - Mbeje A. 2020 “i refuse” Bangle. Silver frame, HDPE Plastic (Red and Black), Platinum Pattern  

My 2020 PlatAfica jewellery piece was made from all of the prototype models that I developed. My design hook helped me to learn different techniques of assembling this bangle as seen in figure 1 as a multifaceted jewellery piece. The bangle was made with 80% recycled Plastic Red and Black (HDPE Cola-Cola caps) and 10% of Silver and 10% platinum.

Figure 2 - Mbeje A. 2020 “i refuse” Bangle. Silver frame, HDPE Plastic (Red and Black), Platinum Clasper Piercing  

My bangle design was inspired by DNA structure patterns, which are used as a fundamental of portraying Zakes Bantwini’ career. The word phase of “i refuse” as seen in figure 2. I look up to him as a musician DNA of South Africa due to the successful career that he has achieved in music.  The word phase of “i refuse” on the bangle clasper should be worn by every man in the society, who want to have positive energy in their career. 

PlatAfrica - 3 Prototype Model Development

Corner edge Bangle

Figure 1 - Mbeje A. 2020. Corner edge Bangle. Plastic HPDE and Silver frame

 Figure 2 - Mbeje A. 2020. Corner edge Bangle. Plastic HPDE and Silver frame and pattern 

  

The inspiration for the prototype in figure 1 was derived from the Cushion shape and Knife-edge bangle. The silver frames also part of the inspiration that is used in the platinum pattern as seen in figure 2. The frame corners and patterns are there to create balance, and proportion on the bangle. The Black (HDPE) plastic was used to create contrast on the platinum pattern and also reduce the amount of contrast from the Red (HDPE) plastic.