Miss Sofie Boons Sofie.Boons@uwe.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer in Design Crafts
Man-made crystals: A review of their historic and contemporary context and use
Boons, Sofie
Authors
Abstract
This paper reports on the history and use of man-made crystals for jewellery in a contemporary context. The cross-disciplinary contextual review traces human fascination with gemstones back centuries, and covers key developments in their ‘imitation’. The infiltration of these man-made crystals in the market sparked the development of the discipline of gemology, through which they are often painted in a negative light. With innovations in the growth of man-made crystals revolutionising other industries (engineering, technology, etc.) , and their distinction from mined crystals increasingly more challenging, the paper reports on the terminology prescribed to the industry to describe man-made and mined crystals. These descriptions, which include ‘natural’ and ‘real’ versus ‘synthetic’, are interrogated in relation to key texts and a need for the identification of an alternative terminology is proposed. The jewellery industry remains apprehensive about the influx of man-made crystals, and only a small number of man-made crystal suppliers are growing crystals for the purpose of creative exploration beyond the imitation of mined crystals for jewellery. Through the review of artefacts, where man-made crystals have been used, their ability to enable creativity is highlighted, and their further future creative possibilities explored.
Citation
Boons, S. (2022, January). Man-made crystals: A review of their historic and contemporary context and use. Paper presented at 16th International Conference on Design Principles and Practices, University of Newcastle, Australia
Presentation Conference Type | Conference Paper (unpublished) |
---|---|
Conference Name | 16th International Conference on Design Principles and Practices |
Conference Location | University of Newcastle, Australia |
Start Date | Jan 19, 2022 |
End Date | Jan 21, 2022 |
Deposit Date | Feb 10, 2022 |
Keywords | Man-made Crystals, Jewellery Design, Contextual Review |
Public URL | https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9006872 |
Publisher URL | https://cgscholar.com/cg_event/events/G22/proposal/56180 |
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