This brooch is entitled ‘Recycle’. It is part of HDPE/HOPE series which re-uses HDPE plastic from a single-use milk bottle. The top disc on this brooch bears the imprint ‘Recycle’.

The pieces in this series are concerned with the environmental crisis and seek to question our perception of beauty & preciousness and its associations to materials such as gold and silver. They draw attention to the issue of ‘value’ attached to precious resources such as gold & silver and ‘single-use’ every-day items that are discarded and end in landfill, even though they are also made from a precious resource - oil. The pieces therefore aim to elevate the material plastic from waste to elegance.

The piece is made from blackened Argentium silver back sheet and HDPE plastic discs which are micro riveted together. There is a secure & strong double pin mechanism on the back. The pin is made from stainless steel.

Materials: blackened Argentium silver, HDPE plastic, Stainless steel (pin). Hallmarked at the London Assay Office.

Size of silver square: 40x40 mm

My Ref: HBM106