Why aluminium for jewellery? 7 reasons ...

Why aluminium for jewellery?

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In pure aluminium was successfully extracted from ore for the first time by Danish chemist Hans-Christian. But it wasn&#;t until &#; while the Eiffel Tower was unveiled in Paris, Vincent Van Gogh painted Starry Night in Saint-Remy, and the world&#;s first jukebox sang out in San Francisco &#; that aluminium became a commercially viable material. The world was transformed, and aluminium quickly became one of the most important raw materials on the planet, but why aluminium for jewellery? 

Well, there are many reasons why aluminium is a wonderful material for modern jewellery design. In this journal post I&#;ll walk you through 7 &#; from its creative potential, to its benefits to you, and its credentials as a sustainable material &#; which show why aluminium works beautifully as a material for contemporary jewellery. 

Play: creative freedom.

Aluminium offers so many creative possibilities that it may be one of the reasons why contemporary jewellery is has produced such a plethora of wonderful designs. This is because when compared with traditional materials such as gold, silver, or platinum; aluminium is relatively affordable which gives jewellery designers a sense of creative freedom in a process that is often painstakingly delicate. But it&#;s not only aluminiums forgiving nature which makes it a dream material, but its properties which help to form it into incredibly original shapes.

Like gold and silver, aluminium is also highly malleable. This gives designers an opportunity to create unusual shapes without compromising the piece&#;s structural integrity. This has allowed for inventive necklace features such as necklace fastenings which are simply placed onto the wearer&#;s neck to be softly bent into shape. 

Lastly, aluminium&#;s colour can be transformed into any colour imaginable thanks to the process of anodization. This process creates a finish which is not only decorative but also durable. As my aluminium jewellery is anodised by hand at my studio, I see the beautiful transformations that this wonderful material can undergo. You can find a collection of my anodised aluminium jewellery here. While these benefits are all directly related to the creation of jewellery, aluminium also benefits the wearers of jewellery too. 

Is aluminium safe to wear?

Aluminium is safe to wear. Infact, aluminium is a hypoallergenic material. That means that it is unlikely to give you an allergic reaction (however you should always double check with your GP if you are unsure). So if you are someone with sensitive skin then aluminium may be an excellent option.

Also, aluminium is relatively light. Have you ever put on your jewellery and felt like you were dragging an anchor around? With aluminium jewellery you&#;ll be able to wear all of your favourite pieces and still feel free to reach for your favourite book. 

The &#;Green Metal&#;

Another benefit of aluminium jewellery, and one of the most important in the context of contemporary jewellery design, is its sustainability. As we are becoming increasingly aware, sustainability extends from how efficient the material is to work with, to its longevity, and its recyclability. In all of these, aluminium is rated excellent and as a result has been coined the &#;Green Metal&#;. But how does this benefit you? Well, there are 2 main aspects of aluminium jewellery which combine to make a material that is well matched to the demands of contemporary life.

First, unlike other jewellery materials such as gold or silver, aluminium aluminium isn&#;t as easily tarnished thanks to its ability to form a natural layer of aluminum oxide on its surface. This naturally occurring layer of aluminium oxide which prevents the metal from coming into contact with the air. That&#;s right, aluminium doesn&#;t rust. What&#;s more, it is also resistant to seawater. So, whether you are caught in the rain on your daily walk, or visiting the seaside; aluminium is a highly versatile jewellery material which can be safely worn in many conditions.

But that&#;s not all. Another reason why aluminium is a beautiful match for designer jewellery is its ease to clean. While everything fades, with a little time and some common household items, aluminium can be made to look as good as new through periodic cleaning. You can find a thorough cleaning guide here. And that is why aluminium for jewellery creates pieces which can be repeatedly worn and occasionally renewed over a long period of time, and why I believe aluminium is a brilliant material for designer jewellery. 

Why?

The process of anodization is a delicate one, impurities in the metal will effective conductivity often causing the process to fail.  Obviously, when you&#;re picking up cans from the street, there are loads of impurities like dirt and the dyes and paints used to decorate the cans as well as the different aluminium alloys used by different manufacturers.  Given that the majority of aluminium ever mined is still in circulation, it&#;s definitely possible to refine the metal and create the alloys that are best suited to anodization for cosmetics purposes (in our case, jewellery) but that takes significant expertise and facilities. 

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In the end, I came to the conclusion that it was best to use aluminium sheet that was already available from suppliers.  Seeing that aluminium is already widely recycled, I wouldn&#;t actually be making any kind of positive impact by spending my time and resources creating my own version of a process that is widely used. 

So what&#;s the alternative, is there such a thing as traceable, ethical aluminium?

At present no and there is unlikely to ever be.  Unlike gold, there is no such thing as small scale aluminium mining.  The low price of the metal means that it's only viable if you mine and refine it in gigantic quantities.

This means that there will always be a large physical and carbon footprint from any bauxite mining operation and there is no room for small players in the industry.  The success that has come in gold mining has all come in the ASM sector which cannot be replicated with aluminium.

Demand for aluminium from the jewellery industry is so minuscule compared to the other industries in which it is used that the industry will never have any leverage to instigate change.

Aluminium recycling process

It is true that aluminium is widely recycled. It only takes 5% of the energy to create aluminium from scrap than it does from bauxite, the ore that aluminium comes from, so a huge proportion of the aluminium we use today is recycled, it is estimated that over 80% of the aluminium ever mined is still in circulation.

Whether this by itself makes it an ethical or sustainable material is debatable.  The issue is around the extraction of aluminium and whether this will decrease if we recycle more aluminium is still unclear.  

The process of refining bauxite to make aluminium is incredibly labour intensive.  Every year 10% of Australia&#;s electricity goes to making aluminium.

Which countries does aluminium come from?

As well as Australia and China, Guinea and India are major producers of aluminium.

Australia and Guinea, in West Africa, have the worlds largest proven bauxite reserves and across the world it is estimated that there are 40 to 75 billion tons of bauxite, enough to last for centuries.

As a well regulated, governed and developed country Australia represents the best options for aluminium, though as mentioned, the colossal amounts of energy needed to refine bauxite make this a best of a bad bunch type of scenario.  As of just under 80% of Australia's energy comes from fossil fuels meaning the process has a significant carbon footprint.  This will decrease if Australia transitions to a larger proportion of renewable energy.

Aluminium Jewellery

Aluminium is used relatively infrequently in jewellery, especially fine jewellery.  As it is light and inexpensive, it doesn't have the luxurious feel that people expect when buying jewellery.  Add to that, that it is hard to work with and you go a long way to an explanation for the lack of aluminium jewellery.

In the mid 20 century, aluminium did become more common especially in costume jewellery as other metals were in short supply after the two world wars.

Anodized aluminium Jewellery

To add coloured dyes to aluminium, as we do in our jewellery, you first need to &#;anodize&#; the metal.  This is done by a process of electrolysis and creates a porous layer in which the dyes are absorbed.  Anodizing aluminium also makes the surface harder.

Aluminium fine jewellery

A select few designers have mastered the use of aluminium in fine jewellery, meaning they combine it with gemstones and precious metals to create pieces that are often large, colourful and stand out.

One particularly notable example of a jewellery designer who has used aluminium is Paris based designer Joel Arthur Rosenthal (JAR) who&#;s iconic pieces regularly fetch many times their estimates at auction.

Rosenthal has used the metal to create colourful organic pieces like these rose petal earrings that sold for more than $10,000 USD at Sotheby&#;s in April .

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