jewelry

No, this isn't from today's Main Event. But as the Apple hype machine churns at full throttle before the opening act, it's only natural for people to dream.

To wit: The "iRing" is an ingenious concept that combines fashion jewelry and iPod control with built-in Bluetooth technology to adjust volume and playback. Following the iPhone's touch-screen influence, it has touch-sensitive "function strip" too--though we wonder how practical it is for a piece of hand jewlery to have that feature, as it would seem to get bumped around a bit and might accidentally … Read more

My, how times do change. Ten years ago, a respectable pirate wouldn't have been caught dead in a wristwatch adorned with a skull-and-crossbones made out of Swarovski crystals, even if he'd plundered it off the most bad-ass seagoing merchant in the West Indies. Sure, he could explain all he wanted that he'd had to use two rapiers, a cutlass, and a two-by-four to obtain it, and that the fight for the watch took place in a swamp filled with fifteen-foot-long alligators and a small but highly dangerous population of the elusive Puerto Rican Swamp Shark.

Yeah, it … Read more

We're not exactly sure if this qualifies as part of the gadget jewelry trend, but it's probably the closest that Hong Kong-based Brando will ever get. (This, you'll recall, is the outfit responsible for the massaging mouse and a pig-shaped USB card reader.)

Yet valiently they try, in the form of a 2GB wooden USB memory strap that's apparently meant to be worn around the neck. Yeah, pretty ugly. Some unsolicited advice for the company: Stick to the stuff you know, like the mouse hand warmer.

It's a funny thing: Jewelry that pays homage to technology can work just fine, but it seems to make less sense when it actually functions. Why, for example, would one need to carry a computer peripheral around one's neck?

Case in point: The oval-shaped video MP3 player from X-Micro, which is designed to be worn as a pendant. As Chip Chick rightly points out, watching videos chained to the neck doesn't seem like an optimum viewing experience, especially on a screen that's so small. Nor does it look quite like anything under glass at Tiffany's.… Read more

Castoff computer parts can make for quirky jewelry, if you feel like flashing keyboard button earrings or circuitboard cufflinks.

Unlike these models of creative recycling, some costume jewelry imported from China contains heavy metals from discarded electronics and could make you sick, as the Wall Street Journal reported last week.

Some novelty necklaces and earrings are laced with lead and antimony that likely came from e-waste thrown away by consumers in the United States and other developed nations, then shipped to China for unsafe recycling. "Best Friends Forever" necklaces from Claire's mall shops and stud earrings from … Read more

The Transformers blockbuster has been a classic example of profiting from media obsession: Once a trend catches fire, there's just no stopping it. And the latest merchandizing spinoff--jewelry--just proves the point even more.

But if anything can trump the resurgence of "Optimus Prime," it's that icon of all icons, the iPhone. And in true Apple fashion, we would never expect something so cheesy as a mini-joystick pendant. GeekSugar, therefore, has come up with an elegant concept that we think would make even Steve Jobs crane his black turtleneck for a second look: Tiffany-made "… Read more

The Harry Potter muggles line up in capes and Hogwarts scarves, the Trekkies have their uniforms and the Star Wars geeks have a variety of costumes to choose from when attending the opening night of a movie in the franchise.

Those are the A-list freaks.

What happens, when the brand has sort of a B-list cult following and you can't exactly dress like the characters?

Tomorrow, July 4 is the opening of Transformers and while I'm sure some clever folks will be decked out in garage regalia, it's kind of difficult to dress as a car that turns into a robot.… Read more

We were only kidding (sort of) when speculating recently about USB drives becoming a niche market for designer jewelers, but we think it's actually come true. The reason: Where previous versions basically added some bling finishes to what otherwise seemed to be plain old USB keys, they're function is now being incorporating into the design.

The latest example comes from Italian designer Roberto Coin, a white gold bauble encrusted with diamonds. But more than just sticking the stones on the case, like some lesser Swarovski item, the "Sparkling Memory" allows the working USB portion to swivel … Read more

If you really want to go retro, you might as well go all the way--not just to the funkadelic '70s. That's apparently was the thinking behind the "Kodak 1881" digital camera, which is reminiscent of a Victorian-era heirloom locket. "Inspired by the emotional connection and careful framing of locket photos, 1881 strives to create a more precious medium through which to share your memories, whether at home or on the street," designer Lindsey Pickett says. Specs and other details are scant, but GeekSugar says the locket-cam can be opened to reveal an LCD screen. We … Read more