designboom · Creativity & design

Ice Cube Necklace Melts into Wearable Art

A novel necklace designed by Laila El Mehelmy and GOLEM features seven ice cubes on a silver chain, intended to melt away, transforming the jewelry into a temporary performance piece.

The "ooOoooOoooOh la l’ice" necklace, developed by artist Laila El Mehelmy and architect Ariel André of GOLEM, uses seven ice cubes threaded onto a silver bead chain. A custom silicone tray allows the wearer to freeze the ice cubes on demand.

The concept emerged from observing partygoers using ice to cool down during a hot summer, prompting discussions about scarcity and the changing value of water.

The necklace functions as a 'time-piece' where time is visualized through the ice's disappearance. It takes about 30 minutes to melt against bare skin and an hour over clothing.

Larger silver beads mark the spots where the ice cubes were, serving as a reminder of their presence. The silver chain can also be worn independently.

The project contrasts the impermanence of ice with the conventional luxury of permanent gemstones, questioning the meaning of preciousness in an era of potential scarcity.

The designers highlight that the necklace's beauty lies in its temporality, with its value derived from the wearer witnessing its gradual disappearance.

The piece integrates the wearer into the natural water cycle, with solid ice melting into liquid and eventually evaporating, symbolizing the evanescence of water.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.