42 Fantastic Fusions of Tech and Art in Geek Jewelry

 

Some tech-inspired jewelry can be cool. When it’s recycled parts that help save the planet and look great, it’s flat out sexy.  To the untrained eye, it appears like jewelry. However to the jaundiced eye of a digital warrior, you will get a nod of understanding for your wisdom in all geeky things. Even code junkies wear jewelry and move away from the computer and into the outdoors from time to time. Gadget freaks and eco-geeks can all get behind this type of geekdom and flaunt it with a flair. Here are 42 fantastic fusions of tech meshing with art in geek jewelry. Via: weburbanist.com

 

#8 Do-It-Yourself Geek Earrings

(image credits:Gadget Venue,Gadget Venue,Stewart Dollhouse Creations,ArtEco)

Does she have a Mac? Then she might like power button earrings from an Apple computer. How about a pair of dangling earrings like the 3″ 1 Meg SIMM’s? Spice up her black outfit with these 8 pin black cyber bug earrings that are repurposed from microcontrollers. Ladies, you don’t need a guy to get you these. Do it yourself, literally, recycle your scrap parts into jewelry. Who wouldn’t like shiny and sexy? Such is the case with the chandelier gold plated double quad interconnect pins. All these earrings are sharp.

#7 Eco-Geek Earrings

(image credits:ArtEco)

Sharp thinkers and those close to a graveyard of discarded electronic parts combine their love of tech with their love for the planet by creating amazing wearable art. In the upper left, two identity circuit boards, electronic DNA identifiers, have been recreated into cute dangle earrings. For something a bit louder, then a person could wear the silver hard drive head propulsion armatures in the upper right. Going out somewhere treacherous but want to go in style? The bottom left dangle earrings are both rare as well as designed for the hostile environment of outer space. The dangle earrings on the bottom right are historic and repurposed into fashion, but were once used in a Circa 1950 missile guidance system. Via: weburbanist.com

#6 Hardware Hacked into High Geek Fashion

(image credits:ArtEco)

Does vintage jewelry appeal to you? On the upper left, these read-write hard drive heads have been recreated as a fashion statement. On the upper right, these RAM earrings are available with or without the sticker. Do you prefer Intel on the inside? How about on the outside by wearing these Intel watchdog chip earring on the middle left. Do you want to give him a jolt? The red dangle earrings came from a 5000 volt pulse charge laser power supply capacitor. It’s quite the mouthful, but they look hot.  For music lovers who are also geeks, then perhaps you might like the read-write head from a CD drive like in the bottom left.  If you like to keep your security tight with read-only rights, then the shiny gold earrings on the bottom right were recycled EPROM from Signetics military aerospace. Via: weburbanist.com

#5 Vintage Geeky Jewelry

(image credits:ArtEco)

For people who like to wear pin jewelry or bracelets, this stunning collection should appeal to even the non-geeky. What makes them so special is that they are straight up geek. On the upper left, this chip montage includes various processors, EPROMs, RAM, and D to A converters from 7400 series chips. Yet on the upper right, this bracelet was repurposed from memory and might help make the time that you wear it more memorable. On the lower left, this vintage pin was recycled from a rare main processor. Do you love your cell phone? Then the middle bottom pin might be the thing for you. It was made from the first “brick” portable cell phones and had a previous life as a Motorola transmit/receive amplifier.  If you prefer your jewelry as unique are you are, then the bottom right pin is a one of a kind collage of geeky guts. Via: weburbanist.com

#4 Tech and Art Combined

(image credits:ArtEco)

Necklaces, most folks like them. These geeky fashion statements range from everyday to special night out wear. On the upper left, the red 80186 chip has 7 gold plated launch pins as well as a Bakelite gaming disk. The upper middle jewelry was recycled from an early model Apple 6800 processor. On the upper right, this technomontage series necklace combines both analogue and digital chips into a fantastic piece of jewelry. If it has to be Mac or nothing, then the bottom left necklace is all Apple. In the bottom middle, if you weren’t a geek then you might not realize this copper and embossed necklace came from a computer. The bottom right necklace is sure to be a conversation starter, which may benefit a geek since we tend to not be our strongest with face-to-face people skills. It is a vintage original and functional dosimeter that was used to read radiation exposure and measures 1 to 100 röntgen. Via: weburbanist.com

#3 Splashy and Flashy Geek Necklaces

(image credits:ArtEco)

Can old tech be turned into splashy and flashy? Without a doubt, the gold plated necklace on the top left is a stunner. In fact, all of the above geeky fashion statements are but examples of eclectic fusion in art and technology. ArtEco caters to the eco-geek with their wearable art made from recycled materials. Both the geek movement as well as the eco-geek culture is sliding closer to mainstream, yet there would be many non-techies who will admire your fashion accessories. Don’t expect them to understand your jewelry has been repurposed from what makes us tick and makes us slick. Via: weburbanist.com

#2 Geektastic Jewelry

(image credits:hemmy,hemmy,hemmy,Stewart Jewelry,Stewart Jewelry,hemmy)

If cracking open that computer case and tinkering with hardware is no big deal to you, then the gold plated screws and wingnuts might be just the ticket. Or you might select RAM or any other previously used piece of electronics to create your own eco-geek jewelry style. Unix much? Whatever operating system you are into can be reflected in your sense of style like the F2 and F4 necklace above.  Seems like it is starting off right with the 69 blue resistors that have been recreated into this 15″ choker necklace. They are even RoHS compliant. It’s almost like it’s contagious; this eco-geek fashion so entertains us that we might make that next great geeky piece of jewelry. Recall that before you toss out electronic drum chokes or old pieces off your keyboard. Via: weburbanist.com

#1 Geekdom: Wedding Rings

(image credits:Jana Brevick)

Rings, that’s right…wedding rings made from recycled male and female plugs. The creating artist might be trying to communicate a geek-coded message to future customers with the names of her creations. Getting married, why not consider Screwed (middle) or Jacked (top)? If it makes your head spin, then maybe the 8-Prong serial plug rings are more your style? We geeks sure do have a good sense of humor. So go forth and have fun creating your own geeky jewelry. Via: weburbanist.com

42 Fantastic Fusions of Tech and Art in Geek Jewelry

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1969 Plymouth Cuda 340 fastback

Fast Facts:

1969 Plymouth ‘Cuda 340 fastback

Owned by: Phil Ecks, Jackson, New Jersey

Mopar Power

• Engine: Phil rebuilt the Fish’s 340, adding an Edelbrock LD 340 intake, tti headers and Dynomax mufflers, and Mopar Performance electronic ignition, a hydraulic camshaft and valve springs, while keeping the OEM heads, forged steel crankshaft and Carter AVS four barrel.


• Transmission: Original-equipment 23-spline 833 four-speed and Hurst shifter. They got this one right the first time.


• Rearend: OEM here, too–8-3/4 rear end with 3.91 gears

 

Sure Grip

• Suspension: Restored original for this ’69 ‘Cuda 340: Heavy-duty longitudinal torsion bars, anti-sway bar and HD tubular shocks up front, with leaf springs and HD tubular shocks in back.


• Brakes: Restored stock, with power-assisted Kelsey-Hayes front discs and 10-inch rear drums.


• Wheels and Tires: The classic fender-filling look of chrome Cragar S/S five spokes (15 x 6 inch front, 15 x 8 inch rear) on BFG Radial TAs (205/60R15 front, 255/60R15 rear).

 

High Impact

• Body: Restored original ’69 Barracuda fastback unibody wears all its original sheetmetal, scoops and chrome trim, but Phil left off the black-only A56 ‘Cuda 340 stripes this time around.


• Paint: Mickey Beal of Millstone, New Jersey, sprayed on the single stage X9 Black acrylic enamel.


• Interior: The visors and headliner are original, but Legendary’s reprodustion Saddle Tan vinyl trim covers the seats, door and side panels. Ssnake Oyl restored the OEM front and rear seat belts.

1969 Plymouth Cuda 340 fastback

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SHOULD YOU CARRY COLLISION INSURANCE ON AN OLDER CAR?

This year, each of my grown children and I have been involved in auto accidents. Each of the cars was old enough that a moderate hit was more expensive to repair than an insurance company figures the car is worth. Our experiences varied and might surprise you.

No collision insurance

My son was looking for an address and failed to see the light turn red. A car T-boned his on the passenger side. His liability insurance paid for the other car’s damage, but he carried no collision and comprehensive insurance for his own car. After all, goes one traditional line of logic, the car is 15 years old and was paid off years ago. That’s all true, but that didn’t mean he could afford to replace the car, even for one of the same value that his was before the accident. No, his only option was—and still is—to keep on driving it as-is while he saves up for a replacement. He is fortunate that the car still runs, drives and doesn’t even leak in the rain, although doors on that side are unusable.

Uninsured motorist collision insurance

My daughter was merrily driving down a multi-lane road when an SUV came off a side road and hit her car in the passenger side. Traffic was just too busy for the SUV to get all the way across several lanes without running into somebody, and she was in the way. The other driver’s insurance had lapsed, so she invoked her own uninsured motorist protection. Her insurance company paid the replacement value for her 17-year-old car, minus a $250 deductible.

Why was she carrying such a low deductible? Because she drives a lot, in heavy traffic, sometimes spiritedly, and has absolutely zero cushion in the bank to replace her car should anything happen to it.

Low deductible insurance

My own accident was my own fault; I took a corner too fast and slid into the curb in the center median. It damaged the suspension and frame, which is enough for insurance to write-off a 30-yr-old Toyota. But I wasn’t about to write it off. It was a full convertible—one of only 900 Toyota convertibles in 1981—that I had restored myself. I never lock the car since I would rather have a thief use the door handle than slit the top with a knife. That, along with custom upholstery and paint is part of why I carried $100 deductible. Another big reason is that my insurance is only charging me $50 per year for collision and comprehensive with $100 deductible. So I was able to have the frame straightened and the suspension repaired, and still end up with $700 insurance money in my pocket. Now if I can just keep out of trouble for at least three years, my rates won’t go up!

High deductible insurance

This wouldn’t be complete without stating that I carry $1,000 deductible on my wife’s Lexus. She doesn’t drive as crazy as the rest of us, the logic goes, so she is less likely to cause an accident. And they weren’t giving me any price break on that car like on the old Toyota. So wouldn’t you know—a cedar tree falls on her car while she’s driving it! Seriously! The damage estimate—approximately $10 less than the deductible! Oh, and the tree was on my own property, and my homeowner’s policy has the same $1,000 deductible! If that isn’t amazing enough, it was later that night that our son called to tell us about his accident (above), but now I’ve digressed.

SHOULD YOU CARRY COLLISION INSURANCE ON AN OLDER CAR?

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