Karoline Healy, a visionary materials researcher and designer, has introduced a novel concept in the world of creative rings making with her latest creation – a ring featuring metals sourced through phytomining. This innovative technique makes use of hyperaccumulator plants that absorb metals from the soil, a method that Healy employed to create a one-of-a-kind piece for her jewelry brand, H2ER?.

Phytomining caught Healy’s attention while she was involved in a project aiming to find sustainable steel alternatives for consumer electronics. Her inspiration came from biogeochemist Antony Van Der Ent’s discovery of nickel hyperaccumulator plants in the Borneo jungle, as reported in New Scientist magazine. Healy was captivated by the image of plants that “bleed green nickel sap,” a crucial component for stainless steel alloys.
Driven by curiosity, Healy explored further into the interactions between biological organisms and metals. She learned about bacteria capable of extracting gold from waste circuit boards and a fungus in Australia that accumulates gold particles?findings that fueled her ongoing research project, Future Metals. This project represents her broader vision of sourcing precious metals through biological processes that are in harmony with natural ecosystems and capable of mitigating environmental waste.

The specific metals used in Healy’s H2ER? ring were sourced from the Miners Garden at Barnsley Ma...