KARFUNKEL
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​A bangle made of straw, pure gold and Ruby. An experimental piece, alluding to German mythology and fairy tales, where straw could be spun into gold and every red stone was named "Karfunkelstein".

THE DESIGN CONCEPT - RUMPELSTILTSKIN

​Long, thin layers of straw wrap around a bangle shape to form an architectural arch, held together by a delicate band of gold. An oval shaped Ruby nestles into the straw. 

In the Brothers Grimm folktale “Rumpelstilskin” a boastful miller puts his daughter’s life on the line by claiming she could spin straw into gold:
"Once upon a time there was a miller who was poor. Now, one day he happened to talk to the king and said, “I have a daughter who knows the art of transforming straw into gold.”
From the Original Folk & Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Straw features greatly throughout European folklore. As a material it is enormously flexible with a beautiful natural sheen and golden colour. Next to each other the straw and gold fibres are barely distinguishable and so fashion a “transformation”.
A Ruby is tied into the straw to commemorate and symbolize the 40th anniversary of the Designer Jewellers Group.

The latest additions to the experimental straw piece are three rings built around the same concept: A thin gold band wraps around strands of straw and holds them together. They are lovely in their simplicity.
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Like all my work, everything is skilfully executed with great attention to detail. The gold is embossed with tiny punches to display the deep glow that is the essence of this pure material. Despite the experimental character the bangle and the rings are very wearable.

Karfunkel rings: straw and pure gold