Apollonius of Perga, a Greek mathematician, described his method of “circle packing” – given any three touching (mutually tangent) circles, there will be exactly 2 circles that are tangent to all three. Repeating this instruction finds smaller and smaller circles, filling the spaces between them. The resulting patterns are called “Apollonian Gaskets” or “Apollonian Nets” in his honor.
One particular form of this pattern, having one large circle, surrounded by many smaller ones, is called an Apollonian Necklace. This name was the initial inspiration to use this pattern-making method to create a line of jewelry and accessories.
Combining this ancient algorithm (set of instructions) with modern, digital technology allows me to rapidly explore variations and new ideas. I do every part of this myself, from programming and digital design, to laser cutting and assembling each piece.
The designs are cut from baltic birch, with copper-plated fittings and chain.
Some are available now on Etsy
Photos by Jo Kamm
Modeled by Jessica Thompson-Lee, Robin Rosenberger, and Kayla Genevieve Williams
Jo Kamm 