This stunning work of art not only gives us a treasured glimpse of the Earth, but also stands for a worthy charitable cause. London-based artist Chris Chamberlain proudly unveiled his creation, aptly named, “Jewel of the Universe” in December 2012.
At first glance, you might say that this huge mosaic is made entirely of cut pieces of colored glass. But examine it a little more closely and you will fund thousands of precious gems scattered across it. Add to that thousands of sparkling LED bulbs and the finished product is nothing short of astounding.
Jewel of the Universe is only one of many projects that Chamberlain hopes to launch to help others appreciate the beauty of the planet. It took him more than 3,500 hours in a span of 27 months to complete the mosaic. He used hundreds of thousands of hand-cut colored glass pieces as well as over 1,200 individual gem stones, such as topaz, zircon, emerald, ruby, sapphire, and more. The inside of the mosaic is also fitted with over 6,000 LEDs. The completed work, including the frame, stands 10.5 feet wide by 7.25 feet tall.
He used different colors of glass to show geographic features on the world map, such as deserts, lakes, and rivers. The precious gems like zircon were positioned to denote key cities across the globe, such as London, New York, Tokyo, et al. Other cities in other nations were marked with different stones. Each country seems to be well-represented by Chamberlain. He even used rubies and emeralds to depict religious sites like Mecca and Jerusalem, to name a few.
According to Chamberlain, Jewel of the Universe is currently up for sale. Any interested buyers can contact the artist or his studio for more information. For now, one can only imagine the hefty price tag that comes along with thus shining shimmering work of art. A portion of the proceeds of the sale will be donated to the Ivor Leigh Memorial School in Sierra Leone. Beautifully enough, the lone diamond set upon the mosaic was used to mark the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Other mosaics you might want to see: Coffee bean mosaic and Megaman mosaic.
Via My Modern Met
