November 23, 2022

CSEM and ECAL create art using advanced technology

Students from the Lausanne University of Art and Design (ECAL) have teamed up with CSEM’s engineers to create an avant-garde iridescent jewelry collection. The designs include two different nanotechnologies developed at CSEM, which can be found in microchips or holographic anti-counterfeiting prevention tools. The jewelry pieces’ shimmering surfaces mimic natural optical effects, like on the wings of butterflies, beetle shells, or the inner shell of oysters.

ECAL jewelry
Créations Caroline Lejeune (photo 1 & 2), Sarah Remy (photo 3). Photo©ECAL_Santiago Martinez
ECAL jewelry
1 & 2 : Caroline Lejeune (Switzerland) 3 Yosuke Shimano (Japon) 4 Carlotta Pons Pardo (Spain) 5 Sarah Yao (Canada) 6 Sarah Rémy (France)

 “While pigments and dyes contained in ink and paint fade over time, these ‘structural colors’ never lose their shine,” says Nicolas Blondiaux, an engineer at CSEM and the project manager. “It’s a new, optical way of producing color.”

CSEM’s engineers selected five of the students’ designs that they then enhanced with nanotechnology.


Visiting the jewelry is by request only. Please register your interest at info@csem.ch

Credits: Lausanne University of Art and Design (ECAL)
Director : Alexis Georgacopoulos

Program manager : Nicolas Le Moigne

Professors : Stefano Panterotto & Alexis Tourron (Panter&Tourron)

Assistant : Georg Foster

Students : Caroline Lejeune (Switzerland), Carlota Pons Pardo (Spain), Sarah Rémy (France), Yosuke Shimano (Japan), Sarah Yao (Canada)

Photographs: Santiago Martinez