This Fairtrade gold necklace design was the winner of the Bronze Award in the Fairtrade Gold category by the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council in 2020.
A colour study in 18k gold, the Auroboros I necklace has been handmade from pure Fairtrade Gold, mixed with 100% recycled copper, silver and palladium, to create an ethical showpiece of Amanda’s craft and skill in working with gold. Each gold bar in the chain has been hand alloyed to create a different tone, showcasing the gradient of bespoke colours Amanda can create from scratch in precious metal.
The name fuses Aurum [Latin: gold] and Oroboros [Greek: tail devourer], the tail eating serpent that represents eternity and allegorically associated with the science and philosophy of alchemy. This piece explores colour in alloys made of fully traceable gold with a fineness of ‘750’.
The concept is simple: Create a wearable 18k gold ‘colour wheel’ in eighteen colours that methodically examines the options available with the ‘primary colours’, or metals: palladium, copper and silver.
Each of the 21no links contains 75% of Fairtrade Gold (origin: Macdesa mine, Peru). The sequence begins at the clasp and adjacent links (nos 1 & 21), which contain 25% Palladium. Then, radiating from either side, the alloys incrementally blend from Palladium to alloys using 25% copper (nos 7 & 8) or silver (nos 14 & 15).
Thanks to the full traceability and the efforts of the artisanal miners in the Fairtrade Foundation’s scheme, Amanda has always believed there is a higher intrinsic value to this gold. As such, this piece allowed her to explore what would be possible with this very precious ingredient. By individually formulating, melting and hand-working each bar in my workshop, her aim for this piece to be made in the artisanal spirit of the material’s origins.
For more information on the making process, please visit Amanda’s Instagram Highlights or to see some photos from the awards ceremony in 2020.
This necklace is available for purchase. Please contact Amanda for more details.
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