The Nacre and the Grain: Approaches to Ecological Empathy in Scotland

Kristin Beeler; Sandra Wilson

doi:10.1007/978-3-032-07626-7_12

The Nacre and the Grain: Approaches to Ecological Empathy in Scotland

Kristin Beeler (Lead / Corresponding author)
, Sandra Wilson

Design and Making

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

Comparing the sourcing of natural materials such as pearls (nacre) in Scotland and a hydrometallurgy chemical technique to recover precious metals from electronic waste (grain) this chapter discusses the underlying empathetic connections in these dissimilar processes as well their impact on contemporary jewellery.
‘Ecological empathy' is defined as a practice for exploring the ontological relationship that connects humans, materials and their environments through considering the expanded ecosystems shaping those elements. Through this lens, jewellery places sustainability at a relate-able scale subverting tendencies to disconnect personal actions from environmental consequences.
Scotland is at the forefront of ethical making in contemporary jewellery and in particular collaborating with colleagues from other fields such as chemistry, memory studies and interaction design to tackle challenges unsolvable by a single discipline. This creates opportunities for new design methods while capitalizing on jewellery’s unique perspective as durable cultural goods and cherished objects.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Contemporary Jewelry
Subtitle of host publication	Innovation Towards a Sustainable Future
Editors	Mariana Kuhl Cidade, Felipe Luis Palombini
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Pages	247-270
Number of pages	24
Edition	1
ISBN (Electronic)	9783032134080
ISBN (Print)	9783032134073, 9783032134073
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-07626-7_12
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 27 Apr 2026
Event	The Nacre and the Grain: Contemporary Jewellery and Ecological Empathy in Scotland - V and A Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom Duration: 29 May 2026 → 29 May 2026

Publication series

Name	Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes
Publisher	Springer Cham
Number	1
Volume	1
ISSN (Print)	2345-7651
ISSN (Electronic)	2345-766X

Seminar

Seminar	The Nacre and the Grain
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Dundee
Period	29/05/26 → 29/05/26

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 13 Climate Action
SDG 14 Life Below Water
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

Empathy
Sustainability
Jewellery
Hydrometallurgy
Oyster
Gold
Arendt
Scotland

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Water Science and Technology
Waste Management and Disposal
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-032-07626-7_12

Cite this

Beeler, K., & Wilson, S. (2026). The Nacre and the Grain: Approaches to Ecological Empathy in Scotland. In M. Kuhl Cidade, & F. L. Palombini (Eds.), Contemporary Jewelry: Innovation Towards a Sustainable Future (1 ed., pp. 247-270). (Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes; Vol. 1, No. 1). Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-07626-7_12

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abstract = "Comparing the sourcing of natural materials such as pearls (nacre) in Scotland and a hydrometallurgy chemical technique to recover precious metals from electronic waste (grain) this chapter discusses the underlying empathetic connections in these dissimilar processes as well their impact on contemporary jewellery. {\textquoteleft}Ecological empathy' is defined as a practice for exploring the ontological relationship that connects humans, materials and their environments through considering the expanded ecosystems shaping those elements. Through this lens, jewellery places sustainability at a relate-able scale subverting tendencies to disconnect personal actions from environmental consequences. Scotland is at the forefront of ethical making in contemporary jewellery and in particular collaborating with colleagues from other fields such as chemistry, memory studies and interaction design to tackle challenges unsolvable by a single discipline. This creates opportunities for new design methods while capitalizing on jewellery{\textquoteright}s unique perspective as durable cultural goods and cherished objects. ",

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author = "Kristin Beeler and Sandra Wilson",

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Beeler, K & Wilson, S 2026, The Nacre and the Grain: Approaches to Ecological Empathy in Scotland. in M Kuhl Cidade & FL Palombini (eds), Contemporary Jewelry: Innovation Towards a Sustainable Future. 1 edn, Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes, no. 1, vol. 1, Springer Nature Switzerland AG, Cham, pp. 247-270, The Nacre and the Grain, Dundee, United Kingdom, 29/05/26. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-07626-7_12

The Nacre and the Grain: Approaches to Ecological Empathy in Scotland. / Beeler, Kristin (Lead / Corresponding author); Wilson, Sandra.
Contemporary Jewelry: Innovation Towards a Sustainable Future. ed. / Mariana Kuhl Cidade; Felipe Luis Palombini. 1. ed. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2026. p. 247-270 (Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes; Vol. 1, No. 1).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

TY - CHAP

T1 - The Nacre and the Grain

T2 - The Nacre and the Grain

AU - Beeler, Kristin

AU - Wilson, Sandra

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

PY - 2026/4/27

Y1 - 2026/4/27

N2 - Comparing the sourcing of natural materials such as pearls (nacre) in Scotland and a hydrometallurgy chemical technique to recover precious metals from electronic waste (grain) this chapter discusses the underlying empathetic connections in these dissimilar processes as well their impact on contemporary jewellery. ‘Ecological empathy' is defined as a practice for exploring the ontological relationship that connects humans, materials and their environments through considering the expanded ecosystems shaping those elements. Through this lens, jewellery places sustainability at a relate-able scale subverting tendencies to disconnect personal actions from environmental consequences. Scotland is at the forefront of ethical making in contemporary jewellery and in particular collaborating with colleagues from other fields such as chemistry, memory studies and interaction design to tackle challenges unsolvable by a single discipline. This creates opportunities for new design methods while capitalizing on jewellery’s unique perspective as durable cultural goods and cherished objects.

AB - Comparing the sourcing of natural materials such as pearls (nacre) in Scotland and a hydrometallurgy chemical technique to recover precious metals from electronic waste (grain) this chapter discusses the underlying empathetic connections in these dissimilar processes as well their impact on contemporary jewellery. ‘Ecological empathy' is defined as a practice for exploring the ontological relationship that connects humans, materials and their environments through considering the expanded ecosystems shaping those elements. Through this lens, jewellery places sustainability at a relate-able scale subverting tendencies to disconnect personal actions from environmental consequences. Scotland is at the forefront of ethical making in contemporary jewellery and in particular collaborating with colleagues from other fields such as chemistry, memory studies and interaction design to tackle challenges unsolvable by a single discipline. This creates opportunities for new design methods while capitalizing on jewellery’s unique perspective as durable cultural goods and cherished objects.

KW - Empathy

KW - Sustainability

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KW - Oyster

KW - Gold

KW - Arendt

KW - Scotland

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M3 - Chapter

SN - 9783032134073

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A2 - Kuhl Cidade, Mariana

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PB - Springer Nature Switzerland AG

CY - Cham

Y2 - 29 May 2026 through 29 May 2026

ER -

Beeler K , Wilson S. The Nacre and the Grain: Approaches to Ecological Empathy in Scotland. In Kuhl Cidade M, Palombini FL, editors, Contemporary Jewelry: Innovation Towards a Sustainable Future. 1 ed. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland AG. 2026. p. 247-270. (Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes; 1). Epub 2026 Apr 27. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-07626-7_12

The Nacre and the Grain: Approaches to Ecological Empathy in Scotland

Abstract

Publication series

Seminar

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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Cite this