Binar Aesan by Simi Aisyah

Binar Aesan s a jewelry collection inspired by traditional Palembang accessories and the reflective qualities of glass. The name combines Binar, meaning "shine" in Indonesian, and Aesan, a term used in Palembang to refer to ornate jewelry typically worn during traditional ceremonies. This collection is part of an undergraduate thesis project for the Textile Craft program at the Bandung Institute of Technology.

This project explores the potential of lampworking—a glass-forming technique involving the manipulation of molten glass using a torch. While commonly used to produce small items like beads, lampworking is rarely applied to larger-scale fashion accessories. Binar Aesan challenges this norm by translating the intricate forms of traditional Palembang wedding ornaments into contemporary glass jewelry.

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Glass was chosen for its luminous quality—it reflects and refracts light, embodying the essence of binar. However, the material’s fragility and limited ability to hold fine detail posed significant challenges. Unlike metal, glass cannot be easily engraved or molded into highly intricate shapes. The design process focused on simplifying these traditional forms into basic, structural silhouettes that could be realistically achieved with glass.

To enhance durability and wearability, each glass piece is supported by a brass frame, a work done by Medividi, adding both strength and a contrasting metallic warmth. Metal oxides were also used to tint the glass, introducing color while maintaining its translucent quality.

Binar Aesan is both a tribute to Palembang’s rich cultural heritage and a contemporary experiment in material innovation. It seeks to preserve traditional Indonesian aesthetics while introducing lampworking as a viable technique within modern fashion accessories.

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