If you’re looking for something that’ll please your inner metallurgist, check out the Element Cube — a unique metal cube that contains every collectible element on the planet. For those less interested in metallurgy, the cube is still a remarkable feat of science, as it’s made from no less than 62 of Earth’s 118 known elements, including platinum, iron, gold, and titanium. Through a process called powder metallurgy, the Element Cube, Element Bracelet, and Element Necklace all combine the metals of the world into beautiful polished shapes.
Not all of the materials included in the Element Cube are precious metals, but the nature of the elements that occur on earth did have a lot to do with whether or not they were included in the project. Radioactive metals like plutonium were left out, and elements that exist only in gaseous form couldn’t exactly be included in the cube and its accompanying elemental accessories. The Element Cube and jewelry are all formed by pulverizing 62 different metals into fine powders, then mixing and compressing compressing the combination into whole shapes.
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The mission of any collection hobby is usually to cobble together a complete set of whatever object you’re collecting — be it stamps, rocks, or even potato chips shaped like US states. But as it turns out, collecting elements isn’t an easy task. Completing a collection of elements can take years, and often requires a hefty bank account. Purists may not sign on to knock off 62 elements in one go with the Element Cube, but even if you’re not a collector, it’s still a pretty cool little object, and showcases the beautiful diversity of elemental science.
Creator Cillian McMinn is a designer from Belfast, Northern Ireland. His artistic leanings allow him to believe that the Element Cube is a visually appealing reminder of the complex and intricate aspects of our universe that will please collectors, nerds, and art-lovers alike. The Element Cube is also believed to be the world’s largest alloy, since it breaks records by combining every collectible (non-radioactive) element on earth.
Element Cube’s Kickstarter campaign has already been wildly successful, beyond the original £2,500 funding goal – about $3,800. The project has nearly 1,000 backers and has already racked up funding pledges of over $73,000. A pledge of about $30 will score backers an Element Bracelet or Element Necklace, and a pledge of approximately $76 will earn backers a complete Element Cube. With such overwhelming support, it seems like the Element Cube has already accomplished its goal to demonstrate the beauty and fascination of the building blocks that make everything on Earth possible.
