Koch Star

September 2013
22 karat yellow gold, garnet

This unusual Magen David is inspired by the progression of a Koch snowflake, which is a fractal pattern that starts with an equilateral triangle. The second iteration looks like a Star of David, and while the third iteration doesn't quite look like the eponymous snowflake, it does look like a star with botonée-like flourishes that would normally be found on Byzantine or Coptic crosses.

In turning this iteration of the Koch Snowflake into a wearable star, I wanted the materials to enhance the elements I imagined in it—I wanted the design to look even more ancient, like something that Jacques-Yves Cousteau might have recovered from the floor of the Mediterranean. The deep red of the garnets and the hammered pattern of the 22-karat gold (materials common in ancient Greek, Etruscan and Egyptian jewelry) give the piece a richness that evokes a bygone era.