Remember when our biggest concern was whether or not we would have enough toilet paper during lockdown, thanks to those idiots panic buying hundreds of rolls?

Simpler times, and I bet smokers and those whose booze ran out a few weeks back, wish that was their only issue.

They say that for every crisis, there’s a business opportunity, and if you want to immortalise your toilet paper travails, German jeweller Jonathan Johnson is your man.

His parents may have lacked creativity in naming him, but Johnson has seized on the running joke and designed a toilet-roll shaped pendant he has dubbed “the deluxe toilet roll chain”.

The more romantic minded out there have probably been looking at designing your dream ring online during lockdown, and fair play, but let’s hear more about the necklace.

Here’s Forbes:

It’s selling on his website for $75, and each necklace is made from gold-plated sterling silver. From each sale, 20% goes to a local homeless nonprofit called Arzt Mobil Hamburg.

More than anything else, Johnson wanted to tap into something so common, and yet rare. “When the coronacrisis hit, you could see on TV how people jumped on toilet paper,” said Johnson.

“The diamond, the most desirable object of desire, and a symbol of wealth, was suddenly replaced by toilet paper.”

“The thought that, in the future, this crisis will be looked back on in a few generations, this could be an enchanting side effect,” he said.

Not sure there will be many enchanting side effects, but I give him props for trying, and also donating 20% to charity.

Johnson, who is regarded as the bad boy of the jewellery world, has also designed Saint Corona necklace, a patron saint from the Catholic Church.

I think we’ll leave that to him, and focus on jewellery design that is actually worth dabbling in.

Shiny Rock Polished has become South Africa’s go-to online jewellery store during lockdown, appealing to trends in the market like the shift away from diamond rings to precious gems, while still offering more traditional brides with the option of the finest lab-grown diamonds.

Another standout feature is the online tool where you can design the perfect engagement ring, selecting the centre stone, the shape, setting style and metal.

There are options to suit each budget, and you can create a custom ring for as little as R8 000.

To really ensure the perfect design, you’ll have the option of consulting with the Shiny Rock Polished senior designer, Patricia Palm via Zoom, WhatsApp, Skype, or email, throughout the process.

Once you’ve created the ideal ring, it will be delivered to your door (when lockdown measures allow), thus avoiding yourself to move around too much and putting yourself at risk.

You can also choose from a wide range of beautifully designed rings, pendants, and earrings, although none of those have been designed to honour toilet paper.

Click here to start designing your ring.

[source:forbes]