Stay cool, in all senses of the word, with a necklace made from graphic facets of ice. The ‘ooOoooOoooOh la l’ice’ necklace, which comes with its own custom-made silicone tray, can be frozen when the mood takes you or simply worn as a silver beaded necklace.
The brainchild of Amsterdam-based art jeweller Laila El Mehelmy and architecture, art and design studio Golem, the necklace can be enjoyed for half an hour before returning to its liquid state, making it the perfect accessory for a hot and sticky night out on the tiles.
‘The idea came to us during a hot 24-hour party in Club Der Visionaere, Berlin, during one of the hottest heat waves Germany has ever experienced,’ Mehelmy says. ‘In some kind of survival move, party people started to grab ice cubes from the freezers and rub each other with them. At a time when water sources are being privatised and water scarcity is striking all countries across the globe, water is turning from an overlooked commodity into one of the most sought-after luxury goods. That’s how we got the idea to make a piece of jewellery with solid water gems instead of what rappers call “ice”: diamonds.’
The prototype for the tray began as a 3D concept, with Ariel Claudet of Golem sending his designs from Paris to Mehelmy in Amsterdam, who would digitally laser-cut and cast the moulds. The playful result gives wearers a sense of control usually lacking in jewellery.
‘There is a choreography to it,’ Mehelmy adds. ‘We like the idea of the wearer appropriating the piece. As designers, we are very happy to put something out there and see its potential grow with what people make of it, from a techno party to a fancy dinner. It adds different dimensions to the work, and that’s what makes it exciting for us.’
With or without ice, the necklace makes for a fun accessory. ‘When worn as a simple solid silver necklace, the larger beads mark where a water gem once stood and where a new one will one day solidify again. It was important to us that when not frozen it is still a beautiful piece. The modularity of the piece. introduced by the fact that the clasp is smaller than the large beads, allows one to choose how to wear it.’
INFORMATION
@golem.digital:
https://instagram.com/golem.digital?igshid=NDBlY2NjN2I=
@lmehelmy:
https://instagram.com/lmehelmy?igshid=NDBlY2NjN2I=
-
SANAA scoops 2025 Charlotte Perriand AwardThe 2025 Charlotte Perriand Award has been awarded to Japanese architecture studio SANAA
-
Ora-ïto transforms the Renault 17 into a futuristic yet retro-tinged visionThe R17 electric restomod x Ora-ïto is the fourth in Renault's series of designer-led reimaginings of iconic models from its past. We think it's the best of the lot
-
First Look: a domestic idyll by Lucy Stark and Fabien Cappello at the Blunk SpaceInspired by the life and times at JB Blunk's haven of a house in Inverness, a new exhibition of paintings and objects has us dreaming of California
-
Late summer jewels: what to wear at Golden HourLate summer signals a jewellery style-shift. These independent designers have got it covered
-
All smiles: How a grillz jewellery making class in London became an international hitWhat started as a passion project quickly exploded in popularity. We get the story behind the grillz-making workshop at Cockpit London
-
Emerging jewellery designers to get to knowThese independent, new and emerging jewellery designers and brands from New York to Paris are firmly on our radar
-
Jewellery designers share their most precious personal piecesA host of jewellers give us a peek at the jewellery which brings them joy and solace
-
Playing it cool: pearls are having a momentWe've been deep-diving into boutiques around the world to find the very best calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form. It seems jewellers have been busy rethinking pearls, with contemporary (and often affordable) results
-
Eternity rings for the modern coupleEternity rings, whether sleekly minimalist or sprinkled in diamonds, can be a chic and contemporary love token
-
Completedworks turns its reductionist vision to bagsBritish jewellery and homeware brand Completedworks’ Anna Jewsbury puts handbags under her sculptural lens
-
Alternative engagement rings with an edgeAs the sales of engagement rings sky-rocket during lockdown, enjoy our off-kilter curation of edgy and unconventional engagement rings
