Binary Byzantine

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Each piece of jewelry is truly one-of-a-kind. I start by choosing printed circuit boards (PCBs) for interesting patterns and intrinsic beauty. The traces are plated with gold or silver over copper in complex patterns. Some patterns resemble mosaics, neural networks, street maps, or paintings by Gustav Klimt.  

I cut, shape, sand, and drill the boards. The printed instructions are distracting so I color them. Then I embellish the boards with electronic components such as fuses, diodes, resistors, capacitors, and hard drive ring separators. I attach small jewelry findings that are plated with silver or gold, and coat the finished boards with clear resin to prevent tarnish and protect the wearer from contact with the metals. 

I build the jewelry with related hardware such as springs, nuts, and washers; and vintage metal and acrylic beads, colorful Czech crystals and pressed glass, genuine pearls, and some precious and semi-precious stones such as carnelians, peridots, rough rubies, or emeralds. I choose all beads for their shape and color.

Most circuit boards are made of silicon wafers pressed together, like a wafer cookie. They are very light and easy to wear. I have also found circuit boards made of very thin ceramic and lightweight metal. You can see some of these in my black and white pieces. 

The intricate configurations of lines and geometric shapes are circuits—a map to the arrangement of computer components and electrical connections that must be soldered to the board in order to function. The color on the surface—green, red, blue, and even yellow—is an added coating of solder mask that protects the circuits during soldering. Un-masked boards are usually a translucent pale green, gray, or beige, and all of the circuits, or traces, are exposed. 

Unfortunately, printed circuit boards (PCBs) are very difficult and expensive to recycle, so most salvage companies are unwilling to handle them. I find a few at e-waste recyclers, but tons of PCBs end up in landfills around the world! Some were used in digital devices, but many were simply rejected by the manufacturer for flaws. I prefer to up-cycle them instead!

I've worked with computers for decades as a computer blueprint reviewer at IBM, as a graphic designer and illustrator, and as an educator, so making wearable art with computer components seems like a natural path to follow. 

Crafting  jewelry comes naturally to me. I trained as a painter and printmaker. I love working with my hands, from  stretching canvas to making frames, from stained glass to silk-painting. I have also tried my hand at ceramics, and mosaic. 

I'm genuinely excited by wearing and making wearable art,  and I lose myself at craft fairs and hardware stores, always picking up  techniques and being inspired. 

My current jewelry lines include: 

Binary Byzantine 

The Martian Chronicles 

The Elements