Real gemstone necklace (that I made!) from a rainbow of semi-precious stones. |
- Do you gaze in awe at jewelry made from real gemstones instead of swarovski crystals?
- Do you prefer a wool sweater over one knit from acrylic yarn?
- Would you pay more for a real, solid oak dresser than one made from oak-printed veneer?
The meaning and history inherent to natural materials comes about in two main ways that are super similar: 1) through the processes of growth and decay, a life history (ie: bone, feathers, wood, seeds, pearls, layers of growth, milennia of evolution and adaptation) or 2) through a geologic history, processes of deposition and weathering (ie: stone, gemstone, crystals, worn river stone, thousands of years of slow, rhythmic tumbling that result in a smooth round stone). These are two sets of rules that are basically the same except that one applies to living and recently dead organisms and one applies to inert minerals and rocks (with a lot of interweaving going on, of course!)
When you hold a pebble in your hand, you consciously or unconsciously add the sum of all the history of the processes that it’s gone through into the perceived value of that pebble. If the pebble happens to contain a fossil (there’s that interweaving!), it’s that much more precious. The story that the presence of the fossil helps to tell adds meaning to that pebble, and if there’s anything us humans are real suckers for, it’s meaning!
Natural Pebble Necklace (that I made!) with a piece of unique fossil coral. It’s so meaningful to hold a piece of the history of a place. Your mind automatically adds to the value of that pebble: “this used to be on the ocean floor, this used to be alive!” |
The reason I specify the meaningfulness of natural materials vs synthetic materials instead of natural materials vs man-made materials is because humans are a part of nature! If anything, the fact of humans making something can imbue a material with even MORE meaning for us. If there’s anything more meaningful than a beautiful piece of natural wood with all the history of growing for, perhaps, a hundred years as a part of an oak tree, then its the added 100 years of history it spent as a part of a barn that stood the test of time and then slowly began to fall down and decay, and THEN was refashioned into a beautiful shelf through the care and craftsmanship of a skilled artisan. Now that’s what I call meaning! The more history represented in the object, the more meaningful it becomes. Hence: natural materials are more meaningful than synthetic, and artisanal crafts are more meaningful than factory made goods. That’s how I see it anyway! I’d love to hear in the comments what you all think about my theory 🙂
Reclaimed Farm Wood Shelf handcrafted by Ivars Design – the wood is estimated to be 100+ years old! Now that’s some history!! |
Next week I’ll more fully explore the special meaning inherent in artisanal human-made crafts. 😀 And if you’re interested in learning how to design exciting colorways using the subtle hues of natural stone pebbles, then come on back and visit me here at Authentic Living this Thursday!! Until then: see you later alligators!
Andi says
For me it isn't about connection but quality.
Acrylic doesn't have the benefits of wool. It doesn't breath. It doesn't contain water repellent lanolin. It's not going to warm when wet.
A veneered desk can't be maintained like a solid wood one. Scratches and dents can't be sanded away. You can't refinish it when it starts to look worn.
Jenny says
Excellent point Andi! Thanks for commenting 😀 Wool is so much warmer than acrylic even when it's dry! (I lurve wool!!)
I wonder if it applies to all synthetic materials? Like what about the difference between cubic zirconia and diamonds? or natural rubies and synthetic rubies?