Somewhere between art and activism, this faux ‘black diamond’ setting made from pollution sucked out of the sky dovetails well with the likewise real but far-fetched project it draws its source material from: a plan currently in motion to pull particles directly from the air in Beijing, China.

Daan Roosegaarde, known for both practical and artistic endeavors, is already working with city officials on this plan to ‘vacuum’ pollution from above the city. This ring is an extension of that project, proposing to turn said smog into a wearable reminder of the larger problem.

The plan calls for “a system using buried coils of copper to create an ion electrostatic field that attracts smog particles, effectively magnetizing them and pulling them down. The result is sizable void of clean air above. While it cannot yet work on a city-wide basis, the idea is to begin by clearing hundreds of feet of air in key public spaces like parks, squares and other paths trafficked by pedestrians.”

Clearly this cannot solve the larger issue of urban air pollution, but it can provide selective relief where it is needed most, and highlight the contrast of still-pollution sections of sky against the cleared areas – it is a start.