Despite playing an important role in the global economy, the mining industry suffers from a bad reputation, being attributed significant environmental and human rights abuses. However, modern life depends heavily on the metals and minerals that are mined, making a deeper understanding of this sector essential. As a result, Swedish companies Boliden, LKAB, Heidelberg Materials, Epiroc, Sandvik, and Svemin joined forces to implement a project aimed at educating people about the industry’s role in society and its contributions in transitioning to a fossil-free future.
Titled Svenska Gruvan, the initiative underlines the shared “DNA” between us humans and the Earth’s resources. Elements such as Zinc, Calcium, Copper, or Iron are not only necessary in building a sustainable future but are also crucial for the human body to function properly. To show just how intimately connected we are, the players behind the Svenska Gruvan together with NoA | Åkestam Holst agency launched a jewelry made from iron extracted from blood and Swedish bedrock.
Emma Härdmark, Head of Communications, Svemin, explained that the idea originated from pure curiosity to see whether a product could be shaped from this combination. At first, they considered using blood from a blood bank, “but very quickly we reconsidered because that blood is intended for medical use,” she explained. So, the ring’s developers turned to another type of blood, one “that those who know the least about us — women — come into contact with every month. A blood that is, so to speak, routinely discarded.”
Discover the “Ring of LiFe,” the world’s first ring made using iron from menstrual blood. Thanks to a volunteer from the team, who donated their menstrual blood, and help from Professor Jonas Bergqvist at Uppsala University, who figured out a way to isolate the iron from blood, the team set out to bring the idea to life.
The extracted iron was merged with fossil-free Swedish iron sponge produced by LKAB and refined into steel by Swerim. A Swedish jewelry designer then shaped it into a ring meant not just be a piece of jewelry but a visual statement that invites people — particularly women — to raise questions and learn about the role the mining industry plays in society.
Weighing a total of three grams, of which 30 milligrams of iron was sourced from menstrual blood, the ring’s design reflects the shapes of underground structures and the cyclical nature that connects iron from both humans and the natural resources. Currently, only one ring has been developed but plans are underway to create ten more. Ladies who want to own such a ring are invited to register their interest on the initiative’s website — and they’d better hurry: as of this morning, 500 women have already applied to have their own Ring of LiFe.
CREDITS
Project: Svenska Gruvan // Ring of LiFe
Agency: NoA | Åkestam Holst
