This week’s Piece of the Week is a tribute to August’s birthstone, peridot.
The “Bullseye” necklace by Mark Davis features a 0.94-carat peridot on a vintage bakelite pendant that echoes the gemstone’s green color across a gradient of verdant shades.
With 18-karat yellow gold hardware and attached to a black cord, the pendant merges vintage and modern elements.
“The design was inspired by my fascination with bold, graphic forms that feel both modern and timeless,” said Mark Davis, founder of his namesake brand.
“The concentric bullseye motif has an energy that draws the eye in and creates a strong focal point, while the off-center peridot introduces a sense of tension and interest within such a symmetrical design.”
The vintage element of this necklace is the bakelite.
Originally invented in 1907, bakelite was the first synthetic resin to be created, as early plastics were modified natural materials, according to Jewelers Mutual.
However, the material that was once used in jewelry and is known for its vibrant colors and glossy finish stopped being mass produced in the 1940s.
The material cannot be recycled or melted, so Davis has been repurposing vintage bakelite—and other resins like catalin and galalith—as a way to bring new life to the material.
Pieces like the Bullseye pendant are created by sawing, carving, filling, sanding, and polishing the resins by hand at the brand’s South Carolina workshop, according to the Mark Davis website.
“I love working with vintage bakelite because it brings history, character, and color to a contemporary setting,” said Davis.
“The addition of the 18-karat gold lends refinement and luxury, elevating the piece while honoring the vintage roots of the material used. That balance between old and new is something I always aim to capture in my work.”
The Bullseye necklace retails for $2,520.
It is part of New York-based showroom Muse’s “Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo” collection, which gives 10 percent of the proceeds from the sale of each piece to the nonprofit organization Dreams of Hope.