Major project
Cana: Expressing British Folklore in Jewellery Design [Read more]
Cana - Three Dimensional Jewellery Catalogue & Prototyping
Rebecca’s research investigated self-expression and identity through the use of jewellery, and how stories charter cultural identity and history. In discovering that contemporary British culture rarely discussed its own folklorist heritage, Rebecca decided to explore how British folklore could be rediscovered by the public, connecting them more deeply with cultural roots that have long been forgotten. Rebecca’s solution was Cana: a jewellery brand that revived runic markings and used multi-coloured pastel tones to combine the idyllic appeal of fairytales with the Gothicism of Anglo-Saxon texts. Each jewellery item would be prototyped using three-dimensional software (Autodesk 3Ds Max) to reflect one of three British folklores: legends of selkies, autumnal harvest rituals & celebrations of Brigid (the hearth goddess).
Designing each necklace was a difficult challenge for Rebecca, who had to make unusual forms into elegant and desirable adornments of femininity. But through the use of colour and simplification, sleek and fashionable necklaces were produced that represented seals, hearths and harvests.
The outcome of the project was a series of 3 prototype jewellery designs, and accompanying graphic branding materials, including an Instagram profile and product catalogue which are displayed below on this page. The image above, however, is a digital rendering of the harvest necklace.
The Cana Jewellery Catalogue Pg 3-6
The Cana Jewellery Catalogue Pg 9-10 & 17-18
The Cana Instagram Profile
The Packaged Cana Jewellery Set
Rebecca Radcliffe
Rebecca’s specialism of three-dimensional modelling and interests of history culminate in her investigation of folklorist iconography.
Rebecca’s project sought to create a small selection of jewellery visualisations produced using Computer Aided Design (CAD) with branding to accompany the work. The brand, Cana, seeks to create a wearable identity system, drawing on symbolic references from British folklore. Ultimately, the project developed Rebecca’s technical abilities alongside her conceptual thinking, aligning her skillset with the demands of Industrial Designers.
Major project
Cana: Expressing British Folklore in Jewellery Design