The Crystals Collection by Carol Gay

Carol Gay was born in Sao Paulo in 1976. She graduated in the year 2000 from Mackenzie University in Architecture and Urbanism program. From 1999 to 2000, she took part in the “Construction of the Object” workshop at Museu Brasileiro da Escultura e Ecologia (MuBE) with the designers Fernando and Humberto Campana. This experience was the genesis of her current work.

The Crystals Collection is the result of obsessive research over the materials present in our daily lives and the concept of individual and collective affective memory. “Crystals were always present in my life as a child, strolling through handicraft fairs and observing gifts that my parents had received,” says designer Carol Gay. This rich natural material, which has unfortunately become banal in our collective vision, lead her to develop a product that would highlight these minerals that populate Brazilian soil.

Through experiments with blown glass, she used the stones first as a form-giving element, and later as a supporting structure. She was particularly attracted to amethyst, citrine, calcite, and black tourmaline because of their inherent color and form, carefully selecting stones that would deform the glass and also showcase their crystalline structure. The final pieces embody contrasting weight, lightness, transparency, brightness, and color.

A hands-on experience, performing constant artisanal skills, and the permanent search for new materials have become essential features of Gay’s design. Have a peek into the production process with the artisans, and explore the collection below.