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Thursday, 30th July 2009 (3635 views)

A unique hat decorated with gold worth more than AU$1 million (£499,536) is to be modelled on a catwalk at an Australian awards dinner tomorrow (July 31st).

The wearable Deep Blue Sea sculpture is made from felt, features 18-c gold decoration and a number of opals, and was designed by Ann-Maree Willett, who was inspired by the Great Barrier Reef when creating it.

It was made in collaboration with master goldsmith Gerd Schulz and Vicki and Peter Drackett of Down to Earth Opals in Lightning Ridge, Australia.

The 1.5kg hat will be displayed at the International Opal Jewellery Design Awards Presentation Dinner tomorrow, according to the Ridge News. It was first unveiled in Melbourne 2007.

Ms Willett has previously described the hat as "a fantasy of hand-blocked Australian felt, awash with swaying feathers".

One famous gold headpiece is the conical Berlin Gold Hat, which dates back to the Bronze Age and was produced from a single piece of gold.

 

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