When we think about recycled PET bottle jewelry, we may think about accessories which still show their humble plastic roots.  However, in the hands of a skilled metalworker, the designs become truly wonderful. 

Irena Marie Hartingerová of IrenaMarie, is such an artisan. Her stunning and mostly botanically inspired designs are a clever combination of PET bottles and stainless steel.  She uses a proprietary technique of making PET enamel for some her modern designs.

Irena has been an artist for many years and is currently in jewelry school.  She says she stumbled upon her PET processing method by accident and was inspired with the jewelry making options.  The material is everywhere and so readily available.

She said:
Production of PET glass beads is very similar to the production of glass lamp beads. The resulting product to the naked eye is indistinguishable from the glass, but unlike glass, PET plastic is much lighter and almost unbreakable. They are characterized by the amount of small air bubbles produced in the manufacture and create interesting effect. (edited for clarity)
What I also love is the choice of metal. Stainless steel is very strong and is unlikely to trigger any metal allergies.  Other advantages of stainless steel is its resemblance to silver but without the maintenance issues. Stainless steel is also more difficult to work with, so kudos for Irena!












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Disclosure 

This blog may contain affiliate links. I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. This goes towards the support of this blog and to provide resource information to readers. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation. 
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM