Karen KonzukVancouver, British Columbia, CanadaThe Draco necklace from the Stellar collection of stainless steel, concrete and diamond dust. Latin for dragon, Draco is a constellation in the far northern sky. It can be seen all year round from northern latitudes. According to legend, Draco was a dragon killed by Minerva and thrown into the sky. When she threw the dragon, it became twisted and froze in the north celestial pole. Mid-twentieth century mobiles. Calder was the inspiration for the Draco necklace. It is about finding balance in city life. It is a reminder to stop and pause amidst the busyness…to find a moment to stop and look at the stars and enjoy them. I was inspired to work with concrete and stainless steel by a museum visit in Montreal. There was a door lined with stainless steel and the walls were concrete. I loved the juxtaposition of smooth and rough. I wanted to elevate industrial materials to become something beautiful, elegant and wearable…and that sparkles. Diamond dust is an industrial material that provided a way to incorporate the stars for the Stellar collection into the concrete. Concrete is a difficult material to work with. If you are casting it, you don’t know how it will turn out. It takes a couple of days to see the results because it has to dry. We cast the concrete into a stainless steel bezel and then put the diamond dust on top so it goes into the concrete, which holds it in place.Article from the Rapaport Magazine - October 2016. To subscribe click here.