posted 02-06-2011 02:37 PM            

How has modern technology inspired silversmiths? Either items made for use with modern technology, or designs inspired by same. I was surprised that I could find no interesting examples by contemporary silversmiths. What I did find was mediocrity.

This is a Christofle plated USB drive.

Here is a Wallace plated mouse. I do not like this item. We sold them during gift season at a store I used to work for. They require constant polishing because even using it for a few minutes leaves unsightly smudges and fingerprints. Also that standard gray cord on it looks ugly, and the boxes they come in are really shoddy.

I think Wallace also makes/made a silver-plated calculator.

Of course, there are also many items, like charms, designed as figural cell phones, computers, etc. And some make various jewelry items out of discarded computer components (e.g., circuit boards) in combination with silver. A few are quite interesting but many are very ordinary and uninspired.

This is kind of neat; it's made of circuit boards with silver findings.

Perhaps I just didn't search hard enough to find great silver items inspired by technology. Can anybody share better examples?

posted 02-06-2011 07:11 PM            

I've often thought about putting a USB drive inside a Victorian match safe or needle case, but I'm not crafty enough and would hate to risk ruining a nice old piece of silver.

But USB drives do seem to be crying out for nice, contemporary jewelry treatment. I could imagine a whole steampunk chatelaine with a dependent USB drive, a little screwdriver for opening your computer, a case for earbuds or bluetooth phone headset, and so on.

posted 02-06-2011 10:43 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Paul Lemieux:
....This is kind of neat; it's made of circuit boards with silver findings....

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I trust that the circuitry on these boards was not soldered with the usual tin-lead alloy.

posted 02-07-2011 08:10 AM            

Silver Haired Barbie: