Gazing down from the heavens above us to the earth below, with increasing concern and uncertainty for the planet’s sustainable future, what might Craft and Design learn from the “overview effect’ experienced by astronauts and space age materials and technologies?

This photo-essay case study presents how an appreciation of the possibilities of post-Anthropocene materials in contemporary jewellery design can be applied as an alternative approach to heritage materials and processes of making to both renew and sustain craft practices through innovative technologies.

Craft is being challenged economically, ethically, and environmentally, as supply chains become increasingly traceable, shining a light on social injustice and the impacts of extracting raw materials from natural environments, which are being increasingly questioned.

In an age of new ‘out of this world’ synthetic materials, recycled, manufactured, or grown to scientific purity, can we empathetically rethink our traditions for a more sustainable future beyond perceived boundaries?