Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Mila Sai Earrings

Transforming Waste into Wearable Art: Upcycled Glass Jewels

Step into the realm of conscious design and sustainable fashion with Mila Sai and Brot Jewellery. Explore their innovative approach to upcycling discarded glass, turning it into shiny jewels that redefine waste. From Julia's sea glass gems collected from the shores of Costa Brava to Micaela's transformation of glass bottles into durable pieces of wearable art, these artisans showcase the beauty and environmental impact of upcycled jewelry.
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In a world where waste is a pressing concern, a new wave of designers is emerging, using their creativity to transform discarded materials into stunning wearable pieces. For sure upcycling is more often used on pieces of clothing, involving textiles, leather or plastic materials, but can also be used for accessories such as jewels! 
Among TA-DAAN artisans Mila Sai and Brot Jewellery stand out for their remarkable talent in upcycling glass, giving it new life and purpose. 

Upcycling Glass Jewels _ Brot Jewelry Earrings Upcycling Glass Jewels _ Mila Sai Dandelion Earrings


Glass is a perfect material for upcycling

Did you know that glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without losing its quality? Unlike other materials, glass can be recycled and turned into new products without any degradation in its properties. This makes it an ideal material for sustainable and eco-friendly practices, like upcycling discarded glass into beautiful jewelry pieces.

Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Mila Sai Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Brot Jewellery

Beach cleanups worldwide often report finding a significant amount of glass fragments along coastlines, you surely have noticed that too in your experience.
Broken glass bottles and other glass debris can accumulate on beaches due to improper disposal or natural processes like wave action and erosion.

Q&A with the artisans and founders behind Mila Sai and Brot Jewellery

We had a chat on the topic with Micaela Lucas, founder of Mila Sai and Julia Ventura, artisan and founder of Brot Jewellery. The two young small business owners (both based in Barcelona) have a strong commitment in creating environmentally conscious jewelry and they both work with discarded glass, but the style and result is totally different. 

 

As a circular and sustainable small business, how do you source the discarded glass for your jewelry? 

Micaela Lucas: We collect discarded glass from friends, restaurants, and artisans and select the glass that is in good condition to work with. Some of the glass is recycled and some of the glass is transformed into beautiful treasures. The raw material is manually shaped, our process involves heat and different techniques such as lamp-work and fusing.

Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Mila Sai Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Mila Sai

 

Can you share with us your process of collecting the sea glass used in your jewelry? 

Julia Ventura: I've been collecting sea glasses since I was little in my coast town in Costa Brava, where collecting sea glasses is kind of a tradition. 
So when I discovered jewelry making I thought it would have been interesting to work with this material, not only because it's a recyclable material, but also because conceptually I like the idea of linking the jewelry piece to the place I grew up. 

Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Brot Jewellery Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Brot Jewellery Ring


We admire the conscious design approach of Mila Sai. How do you design the new pieces? What inspired you to create VENUS earrings for example?

Micaela Lucas: We create with passion and we are in constant research, we are inspired by nature and its intricacy.The pieces come usually after a concept which is materialised in drawings, which most of the time are doodles or abstract shapes and sometimes realistic images that we translate into our visual language.
We complete the sketch with details on size, weight and color, this can change the shape from its original drawing into the final design.
Once the design is put into test with the materials we can have a prototype.
VENUS are a very special piece, sculptural and unique. Inspired by the planet and its unique qualities. Venus will highlight your charm as it highlights the sky!

Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Venus Earrings Mila Sai

Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Circular Stream Earrings Mila Sai Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Mila Sai Sketch

 

How do you work with glass? What techniques do you employ to give each piece its distinct character and durability?

Julia Ventura: The irregular shape of the glass crystals is created by the waves and the impact of glass against the rocks for years. Each crystal is unique for that, each is different. 
I don't use any technique to work the glass because I think its more interesting and beautiful to maintain the original shape of the collected glass crystal. On the opposite I work the metal to adapt on the glass. I use different jewelry techniques and when I want a more organic aesthetic I use the lost wax technique. 

Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Brot Jewellery Necklace Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Brot Jewellery Rings
Upcycled Glass Jewelry - Brot Jewellery technique
Mila Sai team likes to be part of a community that takes care of our planet.

Micaela Lucas - founder of Mila Sai

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Venus Earrings
Sale price€158,00 EUR

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