The Golden Ratio and Jewelry Design

Claudia Regina Batista1(&) and Adhemar Maria do Valle Filho2

1
Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
claudia.batista@ufsc.br
2
University of Vale do Itajaí, Florianópolis, Brazil

Abstract. The golden ratio has universal application and provides maximum
performance in an artistic composition. This article discusses how knowledge
about golden ratio can be used in jewelry design. The golden rectangle and
golden pentagon were used as grids to generate jewelry with harmonic
proportions.

Keywords: Golden ratio
Jewelry design
Composition
Proportion

1 Introduction

The most appreciated and valued human adornment of all times is jewelry. In the past,
as well in current times, jewelry are worn in order to satisfy vanity, represent wealth,
show power or simply by symbolism or superstition. Jewelry can also mean status,
beauty and sentimental aspects from people.
Jewelry are personal adornment made with very noble materials (usually with noble
metals and gemstones). Brazil has a rich abundance of materials to produce jewelry.
This country is responsible for around 1/3 of gemstones production from all over the
world, and is also one of the main gold exporters. The differentiated design and high
production quality have been introducing Brazilian jewelry to international markets.
Considering the fierce international competition, the Brazilian jewelry industry invests
on innovation and originality on its pieces; also recognizes design as a master spring of
business competitiveness strategies.
Innovation has been the key word for Brazilian jewelry industry. In the creation of
new jewelry there is a constant search for originality, forms that denote elegance and
refinement.
A jewelry designer can get quite satisfactory results using knowledge about golden
ratio. This article presents a proposal that can help the jewelry designer: the golden
rectangle and golden pentagon were used as grids to generate jewelry with harmonic
proportions.

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2019

L. Cocchiarella (Ed.), ICGG 2018—Proceedings of the 18th International
Conference on Geometry and Graphics, Advances in Intelligent Systems
and Computing 809, pp. 2159–2162, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95588-9_192
2160 C. R. Batista and A. M. do Valle Filho

2 Golden Ratio

The golden ratio, also known as the divine proportion, golden mean, or golden section,
is usually denoted by the Greek letter Phi (u). This symbol “u” was apparently first
used by Mark Barr at the beginning of the 20th century in commemoration of the Greek
sculptor Phidias (ca. 490–430 BC), who a number of art historians claim made
extensive use of the golden ratio in his works [4].
Because of its unique and mystifying properties, many researchers and mathe-
maticians have been studied about the Golden Ratio. Renaissance architects, artists and
designers also studied on this interesting topic, documented and employed the Golden
ratio proportions in eminent works of artifacts, sculptures, paintings and architectures.
The Golden Proportion is considered as the most pleasing to human visual sensation
and not limited to aesthetic beauty but also be found its existence in natural world
through the body proportions of living beings, the growth patterns of many plants,
insects and also in the model of enigmatic universe. The properties of Golden Sec-
tion can be instituted in the pattern of mathematical series and geometrical patterns [1].
The ‘u’ is the result of dividing a segment into two segments (A + B) such that
A/B = (A + B)/A = 1. 618… (an irrational number) where A > B [3].
• The golden rectangle
The golden rectangle arises from the process of “division in extreme and mean ratio”,
by Euclid. It has this denomination because when dividing the base of this rectangle by
its height, one obtains the golden ratio (1 + sqrt(5))/2 = 1618….
ABCD is a golden rectangle (see Fig. 1); the ratio between the two adjacent sides,
AB and BC or CD and DA, is equal to the ratio between p and q or (p + q) and p. A
straight line MN can be considered through the golden section of the ABCD that creates
a square, ANMD, and a new smaller rectangle, MNBC, inside that golden rectangle. The
side of the square is equal to the length of p and the new smaller rectangle having the
adjacent sides equal to p and q (BC = MN = p and CM = BN = q) can be considered as
the second level new smaller golden rectangle. Another straight line, IJ, also can be
drawn between the two golden sections of the two sides AD and BC that will make
another smallest square, MGJC, and another third level golden rectangle, GNBJ. This
process can be continued for ever which will create smaller to smallest golden rect-
angles. The two lines MN and IJ intersect together at the point G and this intersection
point is considered as the golden mean of the golden rectangle ABCD. Based on the
different position of the golden section of a line, there can be at most four golden means
in a golden rectangle. In Fig. 1, the imaginary points G1, G2 and G3 are the other
possible golden mean points of the golden rectangle, ABCD [1].
• The golden pentagon
The pentagon (see Fig. 1) and pentagram (or regular five-pointed star) are geometric
figures usually associated with the golden number.
The five diagonals of a regular pentagon define a star-shaped figure that is called a
pentagram. It has five sides and five vertices. The interior intersections of the sides
aren’t vertices of the pentagram. A pentagram is an example of a non-convex polygon.
 The Golden Ratio and Jewelry Design 2161

Fig. 1. Obtaining jewelry design with harmonic proportions from the use of the grid based on
the golden rectangle and gold pentagon

A polygon is convex if and only if any line containing a side of the polygon doesn’t
contain a point in the interior of the polygon. As a triangle always is convex and there
don’t exist non-convex regular polygons with four sides, the pentagram, in this sense is
the simplest of the non-convex regular polygons.
From the relation between the sides (b) and the diagonals (a) of a regular pentagon,
one easily states that two non-consecutive sides of a pentagram divide each other in
mean and extreme ratio.

3 The Grid for Harmonic Proportions

The golden rectangle and golden pentagon were used as grids to generate jewelry with
harmonic proportions.
Figure 1 shows a design for a yellow gold earring adorned with an amethyst in
brilliant cut round. The earring is composed of two distinct parts: a cylindrical rod
2162 C. R. Batista and A. M. do Valle Filho

which is equivalent to u 2 and a hollow circle that equals u 1, being that the sum of the
two parts, that is, the total height of the earring is u (=golden number). The circle
containing the amethyst is equal to u 2 in relation to the height of the earring.
Figure 1 shows a design for a white gold necklace pendant adorned with five
tourmalines in marquise cut. The gemstones were positioned over the tips of the regular
star (pentagram).

4 Final Considerations

The golden ratio is expressed in nature: shells, plants, animals, human body and others
elements. Adolf Zeising, a mathematician and philosopher, while studying the natural
world, saw that the Golden Ratio is operating as a universal law.
The golden ratio was used in Classical Antiquity: Egyptian and Greek architects
used both Pi (p) and Phi (u) in the structural design of monuments, palaces and
buildings. Today, the golden ratio is also used in architecture, art and design. The
golden ratio principle is applied to optimize the product appearance (i.e. cars, pack-
aging, furniture, among others).
From artists and architects of Classical Antiquity to designers of today, “u” is
recognized for its ability to give a sense of aesthetic appeal in beauty, balance and
harmony of design. It is also used to add style and appeal in the marketing and design
of everyday consumer products.
Finally, the golden ratio (u) can be used in jewelry design to emit beauty, harmonic
proportions and an appearance that must make a positive and memorable impact on the
conscious and subconscious minds of consumers.

References
1. Akhtaruzzaman, A.A.S.: Geometrical substantiation of Phi, the golden ratio and the Baroque
of nature, architecture, design and engineering. Int. J. Arts 1(1), 1–22 (2011)
2. Doczi, C.: O poder dos limites: harmonias e proporções na natureza, arte e arquitetura.
Mercuryo (2012)
3. Elam, K.: Geometry of Design, Studies in Proportion and Composition. Princeton
Architectural Press, 37 East 7th Street, New York 10003 (2011)
4. Livio, M.: The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World’s Most Astonishing Number.
Broadway Books, New York (2002)