When I first declared my major as mechanical engineering, one of my best friends gifted me a mechanical gear necklace. It was made of simple balsa wood and the gears were connected in such a way that they rotated altering the shape of the necklace. I loved the necklace, but the fragile wood soon broke and it has long since been thrown away. The design was similar to the image below. This design allows the user to ensure all the gears mesh and turn. This could be a perfect design to prototype with the laser cutter.

After looking at designs online I realized that I also loved the look of different metal gears with different size teeth. I assume this will be more durable that thin wood and create a more unique aesthetic. There are also various forms of jewelry including necklaces, rings and potentially even bracelets. A range of the potential products are shown below.

In the next few weeks, I will play with combinations of gears to prototype the best combination of gears for each type of jewelry. The ideal situation would be a piece of jewelry in each of those categories, but the size of gears will be crucial to its form and function. The next step is just to experiment and see where this project takes me.

[1] http://www.artfulsoul.com/store/infogtre6004d.html

[2] http://amechanicalmind.deviantart.com/art/Gear-Necklace-Sky-Wing-202953840

[3] http://fab.com/product/

[4] https://www.etsy.com/listing/241428703/gold-gear-bracelet-cog-steampunk-gear?ref=market