1. richardzimmer: Why go to Tiffany’s for a wedding band, when you have one grown from your own bones? That’s what five British couples did this spring, starting with a trip to the hospital for a quick jaw biopsy to retrieve bone cells. The idea - a romantic experiment dubbed biojewelry - is the love child of Tobie Kerridge and Nikki Stott, design researchers at the Royal College of Art, and Ian Thompson, a bioengineer at Kings College London. The trio used a four-step process (below) to coax the cells into skeletal symbols of everlasting devotion. It takes months. In September, the jewelry - plus still photos and a time-lapse video of the process - will go on display at Guy’s Hospital in London. After that, the betrothed get the rings for keeps. “I love the idea that it’s precious only to us because it is, literally, us,” says Harriet Harris, one of the participants. “It’s almost worthless to anyone else.” You can’t say that about platinum. The process 1. Extract bone chips from jaw. Rinse. 2. Place bone cells in ring-shaped bioactive ceramic scaffold. 3. Feed liquid nutrients and culture in a temperature-controlled bioreactor for six weeks. 4. After coral-like bone forms fully around scaffold, pare down to final ring shape and insert silver liner (for engraving).

    richardzimmer:

    Why go to Tiffany’s for a wedding band, when you have one grown from your own bones? That’s what five British couples did this spring, starting with a trip to the hospital for a quick jaw biopsy to retrieve bone cells. The idea - a romantic experiment dubbed biojewelry - is the love child of Tobie Kerridge and Nikki Stott, design researchers at the Royal College of Art, and Ian Thompson, a bioengineer at Kings College London. The trio used a four-step process (below) to coax the cells into skeletal symbols of everlasting devotion. It takes months. In September, the jewelry - plus still photos and a time-lapse video of the process - will go on display at Guy’s Hospital in London. After that, the betrothed get the rings for keeps. “I love the idea that it’s precious only to us because it is, literally, us,” says Harriet Harris, one of the participants. “It’s almost worthless to anyone else.” You can’t say that about platinum.

    The process
    1. Extract bone chips from jaw. Rinse.
    2. Place bone cells in ring-shaped bioactive ceramic scaffold.
    3. Feed liquid nutrients and culture in a temperature-controlled bioreactor for six weeks.
    4. After coral-like bone forms fully around scaffold, pare down to final ring shape and insert silver liner (for engraving).

    (Source: andmonroe, via dreamtyger)

    2. 7 months ago  Notes (7230)
      1. slender-rave reblogged this from madragingven
      2. miltonicsmile reblogged this from crabkiddd and added:
        We’ll get them someday, my heart, I want to wear your bones around my fingers
      3. vintzent reblogged this from damespock
      4. devildyke reblogged this from hardmodeofsex and added:
        gonna give this to koshka
      5. kaylaetcetera reblogged this from eyesbiglove-crumbs and added:
        This is also really awesome because when the first significant other dies, you’ll always have a piece of them!
      6. hardmodeofsex reblogged this from bandaidsonbarefeet
      7. crabkiddd reblogged this from bandaidsonbarefeet and added:
        ;A; whyyy is this so expensive me and Pip need them wweh
      8. eyesbiglove-crumbs reblogged this from marzipan5toast
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      11. marzipan5toast reblogged this from madragingven and added:
        THIS WAY I GET SCIENCE AND MY MAN!
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