Ross Towbin - Popcorn Necklace

Popcorn Necklace

Product Design | Material Design | Jewelry Design

I have always been intrigued by the unique form that is a popcorn kernel. As a result, I set out to create a piece of jewelry using this form. The core challenge of this endeavor was addressing the properties of different materials. Although I engaged in trials involving 3D printing and electroplating, cold casting emerged as the optimal method. This process entails mixing powdered metal and resin, followed by casting the mixture into a silicone mold. The final product is an intricately designed and unparalleled piece of jewelry that adds an element of sophistication and charm to any wardrobe.

Design Objective

The objective of this project was to design an intricate and desirable piece of jewelry using the popcorn form.

Even from its initial conception, the primary focus of this project, and eventually the main obstacle, was the question of material. The goal was to create an object with many of the characteristics of metal but with accessible and economical materials - Using a foundry and casting the object was out of the question.

Ideation + Research

Coming up with the initial design of the object wasn't particularly challenging. I did a couple of quick sketches of the form before I began my research on the logistical parameters concerning material.

After some research, I decided to stick to what I knew: modeling the object in CAD and 3D printing it. To achieve the metal effect, my plan was to paint the 3D printed model in graphite conductive paint and electroplate it with nickel.

Intitial Fusion 360 Model

Makeshift Electroplating Setup

Fabrication (Attempt 1)

Once I had modeled the form in Fusion 360, I had it printed in a high-resolution resin 3D printer. I then brushed on several thin layers of the conductive paint and submerged the object to be electroplated. This is where I ran into my first obstacle. For some reason, the paint wasn't conductive enough to trigger the electroplating process, and even after several attempts, I couldn't get any metal to stick. As a result, I had to go back to the research phase and find a new material solution.

Processing Aluminum Foil in a cheap coffee grinder to create a fine powder

Passing the powder through a mesh screen to make it finer

Mixing the powder 1:2 with epoxy resin

Molds created using type 1 silicon, food coloring and cornstarch

Newly hardened model after coming out of the mold

Necklace post-processing

Additional Research + Fabrication

After additional research, I discovered a material process known as "Cold Casting." The process involved mixing one part of fine metal powder with two parts of epoxy resin and pouring it into a silicon mold. The end result is parts similar in properties and appearance to metal but with a much safer and more accessible casting process.

To accomplish this on my own, I decided to first use a cheap coffee grinder to process aluminum foil into a fine aluminum powder. To create a mold, I mixed type-1 silicon with food coloring and cornstarch, creating a cheap Play-Doh-like molding material that hardens into silicon within 20 minutes. I pressed this around several pieces of popcorn, creating a couple of molds in case I wasn't satisfied with one. Finally, I mixed the aluminum powder with epoxy resin and poured it in the molds, waiting 24 hours for the resin to cure.

Final Direction

After some final processing using a Dremel and electric drill, I was left with the final object. I put the form on an 18" sterling silver necklace and was quite satisfied with the result. Although the cold-casted look wasn't what I initially had in mind, I ended up quite liking this choice of material, and believe it sets the necklace apart from other similar jewelry.