Berry beautiful: Bracelet made from iridescent fruit

Pollia condensata – also known as the marble berry – is a unique inedible fruit that has a pearlescent exterior, making it almost unbelievably shiny. Academics have labelled it as the ‘brightest biological substance’ found in nature, similar to the metallic hue of a scarab beetle. 

‘Marble berries are pure nature bling, but they are not exactly abundant – we had to commission an expedition into the Ghanaian jungle to secure a supply of them,’ says Harry Parr. 

Because of the structural components of the berries, their blue lustre will never fade. ‘It’s surprising that they haven’t been used in jewellery before now, especially when you consider you don’t have to process them as you would an uncut diamond,’ says Parr.

Biological material is of increasing interest to designers as they look for new methods to manufacture unique materials. For more, read our Growable Futures microtrend and see our market on the Top 10 Future Materials.