Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Larval Jewelry?!?

©heatherkh via flickr
I don't know that I would buy one, but this is pretty interesting.


A jewelry maker and former naturalist, Hubert Duprat has made jewelry using the larvae of the caddisfly. The larvae of the caddisfly have evolved to coat themselves with gravel to camouflage themselves (first picture).

Duprat removed their gravel coverings, and placed them in tanks with gold flakes and other precious materials.



Here are a few of the results.



(Photos Jean-Luc Fournier. Courtesy Art:concept, Paris, and Zero Gallery, Milan.)

When will someone surround me with gold flakes and precious gems and let me cover myself with them?

3 comments:

Steve said...

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little! Ick! My wife would kill me if I bought her one of those! haha.

kerfuffler said...

I am not sure, but I would hope that the bug would crawl out after metamorphosing leaving nothing but the bejeweled husk. On the other hand, they did not show any pictures without the bugs still there.

Unknown said...

..I am still considering whether the "creator" was playing God/Artist (LOL) by changing out the materials the bugs usually use so that they must create what they need using the materials they are given (soooooo like many directions of thought on that idea) or if the "creator" was playing God/Scientist and testing the insects adaptablities..either way the husks are beautiful manipulated remains of a life, which isn't necessarily a bad thing or is it..sigh