Gallery: Lovely Luxe Jewelry Made from...

Another design which caught our attention earlier this year at the London Design Festival was this incredible design by Florie Salnot at RCA’s Sustain show. Salnot spent time working in Saharawi refugee camps and developed an easy and low-tech method of creating intricate, luxe-looking jewelry from plastic waste.

All handmade, Salnot’s process consists of three stages: first a plastic bottle is shaved into thin strips using a handheld cutting device; then the plastic strips are wound round a pin board into the desired pattern; and finally the pin board is immersed in hot sand which causes the plastic to shrink and harden around the pins. The technique makes use of natural resources and waste materials to generate a desirable end-product while creating a source of income for the women of the refugee camps.

+ Florie Salnot