Tech Transformed – Custom Made Jewelry that Re-imagines Technology
Custom Astrolabe Pendant by Cooperman Jewelry at CustomMade.com
The art of custom jewelry involves crafting techniques both ancient and modern and design methods from hand-sketches to computer 3D modeling. However, what can happen when custom jewelry design focuses on technology itself? What can CustomMade jewelry artisans create when they find inspiration for their work in the instruments that we have used to measure, shape, and record the world around us? Take a look at the results: haunting, provocative pieces that bring out the beauty in items often considered only for their functionality. You’ll find a wide range of custom made jewelry. Some works incorporate reclaimed pieces of tech. Others reflect on the past, the future, and what might have been.
The astrolabe is an ancient scientific instrument used for astronomy, timekeeping, navigation, and surveying. A customer approached Andy Cooperman of Cooperman Jewelry looking for an anniversary present for his wife, who was interested in cosmology. He commissioned this custom astrolabe pendant inspired by the instrument. Mr. Cooperman writes: “I had seen many of these historic devices in museums in Florence and found their level of detail inspiring and compelling.” He certainly translated those details into this unique piece. (Be sure to check out his sketches for this piece and the additional pictures on the project page).
"Hi Tec Aztec Necklace" by 2 Roses at CustomMade.com
Imagining our modern lives without the benefit of computers and electronics would be next to impossible. Nevertheless, despite their omnipresence, the bare-bone elements of our high-tech world are usually kept hidden from view. When metalsmiths Corliss Rose and John Lemieux Rose of 2 Roses repurposed actual circuit boards into their “Hi Tec Aztec Necklace,” the result was something simultaneously strange and familiar. The patterns and shapes of the circuit boards evoke ancient Mesoamerican glyphs, yet they are still recognizable as pieces of modern technology. As “futurists and jewelers,” the artisans “wanted to acknowledge the high design aesthetic lavished on these normally invisible objects. Literally turning things inside out, High Tec Aztec celebrates the textures, colors, patterns, materials, and mystery embodied within the objects that surround us all.”
"Time Flies" Steampunk Necklace by Margaret Rose Designs at CustomMade.com
The subcultural phenomenon of “steampunk” began as a genre of science fiction that explored the idea of a world in which 19th century steam-powered technology continued to advance to the present day and beyond. This genre now influences film, games, art, design, and jewelry. Margaret Rose Designs has created steampunk jewelry, such as this “Time Flies” steampunk necklace that, though “bold and aggressive in appearance,” retains “at least an echo of femininity.” Reclaimed timepieces and the concept of time itself are also hallmarks of this “Propeller Gears” steampunk necklace by Mystic Pieces. Mounted on a vintage brass tag on a silver plated chain, the reclaimed antique watch mechanism appears to power the propeller and your own imaginative “time traveling adventures,” while the small key charm “will assist in unlocking those secret doors to a time that once was.”
"Propeller Gears" Steampunk Necklace by Mystic Pieces at CustomMade.com
If you’re looking for a custom jewelry design suitable for the scientifically inclined, a sci-fi devotee, or a project that will blend technology, history, speculation, and fashion into a one-of-a-kind work of art, find a CustomMade jewelry artisan near you or post your idea on our “Get it Made” job board and turn your custom imagination towards the technological world that surrounds us both in space and time.
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