Etsy Shop Offers Custom 3D Printed LEGO Jewelry to Accessorize Your Every Mood
Sarah Saunders
Christmas is right around the corner, which mean it’s high time to start buying all of your gifts…unless you’re one of those people who doesn’t procrastinate and already has all of their gifts wrapped and stashed neatly away in the closet. Sadly, I am not one of those people, which means my Christmas shopping will begin this Saturday. Jewelry is always a good gift, and obviously, we recommend 3D printed jewelry here at 3DPrint.com – last year, I gifted my mother-in-law with one of 3D artist and designer Melissa Ng’s 3D printed Health Potion Pendants, which she loved. For kids, LEGOs are almost always a sure thing – the little plastic bricks are perennial favorites around the world, and kids and adults alike can enjoy gifts like 3D printable superhero LEGO figurines. But here’s something a little unexpected – what happens when you combine LEGO bricks and jewelry?
According to Thomas and Allie, product designers based in France who run an Etsy shop called Hint Lab, their customizable collection of rings and earrings that are compatible with LEGOs are good for “encouraging a little nostalgic indulgence.”
The Hint Lab shop description reads, “We create contemporary and elegant jewellry you will be delighted to wear day after day. Our creations are meant to give you the freedom to play, dream-up and create pieces which will sublimate and match your personal style.”
The designers spent several years working in Shanghai, China, before coming home and making it a point to stick with their design aesthetic, and what it means – using unique and unexpected experiences and objects to create “little moments of joy” that will delight and empower their customers.
“Hint Lab came to life when we noticed how much people love Lego bricks. They can be found in nearly every home and come in a wonderful array of colors. What if we could magnify them, create jewelry that will make these little bricks as precious as diamonds,” the pair wrote on their Etsy shop page.
Thomas and Allie come up with their jewelry designs the old-fashioned way – by sketching them out on paper. Then, they turn their sketches into 3D models, using 3D printing and traditional jewelry casting methods to create multiple prototypes for testing purposes; it’s important to make sure that genuine LEGO bricks will fit.
Once an order comes through, Hint Lab works with its production partner, 3D printing service Shapeways, to 3D print the model in wax in a very high resolution first, before it’s cast in precious metals with the traditional lost wax casting method. Hint Lab offers rings and earrings that are compatible with LEGO bricks, and the jewelry can be finished in brass, bronze, gold, or sterling silver. Each piece has studs that are shaped to fit LEGOs, which almost resemble more precious stones when seen in this setting, and the plastic bricks can be easily switched out so the jewelry complements your mood or outfit. In addition, the rings are made to order for perfect sizing.
Hint Lab said, “We hope our rings can be a kind reminder to keep your inner-child run and roam free, because after all, the most sophisticated people we know – inside they are all children.”
Each piece, whether it’s a ring or a pair of earrings, will set you back about $86, without shipping costs. If the level of customization the LEGO-compatible rings and earrings offer isn’t enough, you can contact Hint Lab to work on a custom order.
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