NFT jewellery: is blockchain bling a thing?

NFT jewellery: is blockchain bling a thing?

Jewellery designer Simone Faurschou will unveil her new fine jewellery as a digital collection of NFT pieces before the physical launch later this year.

The collection, Blockchain, composed of solid white and yellow gold blocks with man made diamonds, explores the ways we connect with technology – and how technology connects with us. After a year in which technology has both connected and isolated us, it is a timely analysis.

‘It is a play on the fact that NFTs and the blockchain (in the context of crypto) inherently are linked to currencies and gold, whilst also literally representing the technology behind it all via a physical chain of gold blocks,’ explains Faurschou. ‘Just like blockchains are immutable, a fine gold jewellery piece is timeless and unchangeable.’ In her hands, jewellery becomes a way of building connections between people, with golden blocks coming together to create a whole. Each physical piece has a hole through it, allowing it to go onto a bracelet or chain.

The first block from the collection, Block1, has now been released as an NFT. ‘”Block1″ is a limited edition of 1, which means that there will never be another NFT like it,’ she adds. ‘”Block1″ is on an auction at the marketplace Rarible. So far, I have only released the first of 12 completely unique blocks of gold. Whoever wins the auction on Rarible will get the opportunity to have the actual block handcrafted by me from solid 18K Fairmined gold, set with man made diamonds.’

Digital jewellery which can’t be worn may seem an incongruous creation from a jeweller, but Faurschou points out its status as a work of art is still valid, as is its ability to last. ‘In this case, I personally think it’s such an exciting story that comes with a digital piece of jewellery and we can all be a part of writing it. Each piece can also be resold again like an actual gold piece, and even be passed down in generations.’ In her opinion, the digital and physical can harmoniously coexist. ‘Since I am a goldsmith myself, I also decided that I would like to give my buyer of the digital piece the ability to have it made as a physically wearable piece. Because who wouldn’t like a physically wearable 18K gold block?’ §