PLASTONE UNIVERSE
Our society in which we live has invented an entirely new material. A material that is artificially created by mankind and that the nature can not absorb. For almost two centuries, we have been developing this material on and on.
It is chemically manufactured in laboratories and constantly it receives new characteristics. Characteristics which makes it more and more difficult for the nature to process. Hardly anyone knows the composition of the different types of material, but we all use it daily. It can be found everywhere and is now used in almost all areas of life. Life without this material is hard to imagine.
We produce it from a fossil material that is becoming increasingly rare. Even in the knowledge that it will disappear one day, we deal with it carelessly. Instead of dispose of it, we throw it away carelessly, as if nature can absorb it. Nature is sick of this material and creatures die from it.
Meanwhile, a layer of this material has been placed on our earth. Even a new continent has formed.
We live in the plastic-age.
PLASTONE
Plastone is a new material created by the nature out of our trash. Plastic is not biodegradable by nature, it is simply crushed and seeps into the ground. With time and great pressures the earth could create a completely new stone. Just like the rutile needles in quartz crystal, we will see stones that have plastic inclusions.
I created the Plastone 2014 as a part of my bachelor thesis in the field of jewellery and gemstones. Six years after of the creation of the stone with plastic inclusions, this stones became all too real. Plastic stones can be found all over the world. The plastic humankind carelessly throws into nature, melts into pieces that look like stones. Often during the process of melting, the plastic melts together with sand, creating stones with plastic inclusions.
PLAGATE
I created the Plagate (plastic agate) 2019 as a development of the Plastone, that I created 2014. Since the Stones with plastic inclusions became real, it became impartial to define natural plastic stones more in detail. For me natural choice was the agate. The defining value of the agate is its layers in different colours. This characteristic made the agate the most likely next new stone nature could create.
The characteristic of the layers gave the agate its specific use for jewellery. Agate was used since ancient times for cameos (gems), seal stones, bead necklaces and vessels. Especially the use for signet rings, used to sign a contract, makes the agate political relevant.
The Plagate is a new stone, a stone that is formed by nature from our waste. Plastic is not biodegradable by nature, layers and layers get crushed and seep into the ground. Through time and heat, nature could create a new agate from layers and layers of plastic.
With the development, the Plagate, I created a twist in the value of the material. Other than the Plastone, a stone with plastic inclusions, the Plagate is fully out of layers of plastic, only a necklace of stone beads is symbolizing the stone.
