Human Ivory
Lucie Majerus
In opposition to materialistic values, “Human Ivory” acts metaphorically for having our own value in ourselves. It is a new cultural suggestion to cherish our own “Material” instead of other species teeth and reconsider conventional preciousness. What if we mine our own ivory and turn it into pearls? The designer turns a moment of tooth loss into a more positive one. The service consists of having your own children teeth or wisdom teeth turned into a personal jewellery.
“Human Ivory” proposes an egalitarian jewellery collection, where the body is being adorned by it’s own gem, polished from recognizable teeth into an abstract but familiar pearl shape. By the careful transformation of smoothening of the tooth, a possible disgust association of a human tooth evolves into attraction and beauty. With the idea of Japanese philosophy Wabi Sabi, which cherishes what is simple, unpretentious and aged, the imperfect pearls could enable us to see and embrace the beauty of imperfection. The simple beauty of tooth pearls is accentuated by minimal addition of metals for connection and support role. The pieces play with the idea of collecting tooth pearls along your life. Imagine the older you get, the bigger your personal teeth pearl collection grows. By wearing your own material it fuels food for thought about personal and material values. Feel free to adorn yourself with yourself.
