Zig Zag Contemporary Jewelry Line | Design Limn
Zig Zag  Contemporary Jewelry Line by Mayté Ossorio Domecq

Zig Zag Contemporary Jewelry Line

Bronze A' Design Award Winner 2025

Mayté Ossorio Domecq's Contemporary Jewelry Line employs the radiating fan configuration as primary formal vocabulary, this geometric motif functioning within jewelry design traditions as carrier of multivalent symbolic associations spanning both technological and organic referential domains, the sunburst or ray pattern historically signifying solar energy, divine radiance, and cosmic order across numerous cultural traditions from ancient Egyptian sun disk iconography through Christian representations of sacred light and glory to Art Deco celebrations of modern dynamism and machine-age optimism, the contemporary iteration in this neckpiece engaging these accumulated meanings while asserting fresh minimal aesthetic sensibility appropriate to current design discourse. The bilateral symmetry structuring the composition activates archetypal associations with balance, harmony, and completeness, the mirroring of forms across a central vertical axis creating psychological resonance of stability and perfection while the dual anchor points at shoulders suggest the distribution of forces and the elegant resolution of opposing tensions, this compositional choice encoding meanings of equilibrium and controlled power that extend beyond purely formal visual effects into symbolic registers suggesting poise, confidence, and the balanced integration of multiple dimensions of experience or identity. The metallic silver-gray coloration carries complex cultural freight operating simultaneously across multiple symbolic frameworks, silver traditionally associated with lunar energies, feminine principles, clarity, purity, and the reflective contemplative mind in Western esoteric traditions while also signifying technological advancement, industrial precision, and contemporary urban sophistication in modern design contexts, the cool neutral temperature of the metallic finish reinforcing associations with rational intelligence, measured restraint, and refined minimalist aesthetic philosophy rather than the warmer chromatic registers that might suggest emotional expressivity or sensual indulgence. The material choice of worked metal itself engages ancient symbolic associations between metallurgy and transformation, the conversion of raw ore through fire and craft into refined functional beauty serving as potent metaphor for personal development, the tempering of character, and the artistic transformation of fundamental elements into expressions of elevated consciousness, this alchemical dimension providing conceptual depth to jewelry that might otherwise read as purely decorative surface without acknowledged symbolic weight. The radiating linear elements progressing outward from central origins suggest growth, expansion, emanation, and the projection of energy or influence from core self toward social environment, the jewelry potentially interpretable as visualization of personal agency, creative force, or the extension of individual presence into surrounding space, this outward directional thrust balanced by the containing arc that prevents dissipation and maintains coherent form, the interplay between centrifugal expansion and circumferential containment creating productive symbolic tension between self-expression and self-definition, between unlimited potential and chosen identity articulation. The neckpiece positioning at throat and shoulder zones activates body-region symbolism associated with communication, voice, creative expression, and the bearing of responsibility or authority, ornamental enhancement of these specific anatomical sites traditionally signaling the wearer's engagement with expressive capacity and social presence, the substantial sculptural scale of the collar transforming subtle personal ornament into architectural statement that commands attention and declares aesthetic sophistication as component of performed identity. The precision and regularity of geometric construction suggests order, control, and disciplined intelligence, the machine-perfect consistency of elements and spacing encoding values of technical mastery, systematic thinking, and the application of rational design principles, these associations positioning the jewelry within modernist aesthetic traditions that celebrate functional clarity and honest material expression over decorative excess or sentimental ornamentation. The minimalist restraint evident in monochromatic palette and geometric reductivism potentially references philosophical orientations valuing essential form, contemplative focus, and the elimination of unnecessary elaboration, the design suggesting appreciation for pure relationships of proportion, rhythm, and spatial organization as sufficient sources of aesthetic satisfaction without requiring chromatic complexity or representational content. The fan configuration opening outward from shoulder points toward central meeting at frontal chest area might invite interpretation as gathering or focusing of distributed energies toward heart center, the symbolic seat of emotion, compassion, and authentic self across multiple wisdom traditions, though such reading remains speculative and individual viewers may construct alternative meaning frameworks equally valid within their personal interpretive horizons and cultural reference systems.

From Straight to Curved: The Zig Zag Takes Shape. This applied research project explores the transformation of a straight line into a curve through cross-sections. The objective was to design a strong and visually striking necklace while minimizing material usage and optimizing structural efficiency. The methodology was based on direct experimentation, where different cutting and bending techniques were tested to achieve the desired flexibility and form