Man-made crystals: A review of their historic and contemporary context and use

Boons, Sofie

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.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: 16th International Conference on Design Principles and Practices
• 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