Rebecca Radcliffe

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.