  We discuss a class of models for particulate gels in which the particle
contacts are described by an effective interaction combining a two-body
attraction and a three-body angular repulsion. Using molecular dynamics, we
show how varying the model parameters allows us to sample, for a given gelation
protocol, a variety of gel morphologies. For a specific set of the model
parameters, we identify the local elastic structures that get interlocked in
the gel network. Using the analytical expression of their elastic energy from
the microscopic interactions, we can estimate their contribution to the
emergent elasticity of the gel and gain new insight into its origin.
