Chandelier Earrings made from salvaged fluorescent light panel covers

Everyday, buildings are demolished or gutted to recreate something new in their place. Projects can be as small as a kitchen remodel or as large as a brand new high rise building in an urban center, but both create large amounts of industrial waste that end up in the landfill.

Opulent is probably the last word you would use to describe the construction process, but within this rough and tumble world, two designers from Oregon have discovered an interesting conversation about our society's obsession with material possessions.

The Opulent Project seeks to create a dialogue between the precious and non-precious and subvert mainstream preconceptions regarding value in material culture, all while reducing waste and creating a beautifully upcycled product.

From the designers: "We are constantly questioning and considering where these ideologies originate and examining ways in which we may alter and intervene with this visual language. We value a conceptual approach to jewelry design that is rooted in a deep understanding of the making process."

Using recycled materials that would have otherwise been discarded or considered "cheap," TOP creates stunning pieces of jewelery that double as conversation starters. Like this bracelet made out of plastic zip ties.

Or these earrings made out of discarded phone cord (who has landlines anymore?!)

TOP founders Meg Drinkwater and Erin Gardner met at the University of Oregon. After graduating, they moved to Portland and established a studio in Old Town Chinatown, where you can visit them and check out their creative process.