In Which Kinekt‏ Shows Off Their Amazing Gear Rings

First off, I’d like to wish Lolita Elizabeth a happy release day. Her new book, “Love in a Time of Steam” releases today. You can find it here.

Now, on to today’s topic, one of my favorites, shiny things,

Have you seen the incredible gear rings from the folks over at Kinekt? They are the first company to introduce the concept of moving gears as jewelry. Yes, they have rings where the gears really work. Talk about distraction, lol.

Today I’ve asked them to come on and tell us about their rings. They’re even going to give one away to one lucky reader in their choice of size ($165 value, tell your friends, they have sizes 5-14). There’s a form to fill out at the bottom of the post in order to win. Will you keep it or will you give it as a gift to that special someone?

To understand exactly what I’m babbling about, you can see the ring in action here.

Very cool, huh?

What inspired you to develop the gear ring? It’s not your usual piece of jewelry.

Kinekt Design creator, Glen Liberman, has always been fascinated and inspired by small mechanisms and their complementary movements. Glen felt there was a void in the market so he teamed up with kinetic designer Ben Hopson to develop the Gear Ring, a product “complex enough to play with, yet simple enough to wear.”

We’ll you’ve certainly got an interesting product. What sort of research/work went into designing it? How long did it take?

The Gear Ring took slightly over a year design. There were mechanical complexities to it–making sure which metal would hold up the best over time due to the friction of the gears. Many, many prototypes were made. We made much use of SLA printer and Solid Works software program. We had to figure out how many gears on the ring would look the best, how much play should the gear ring have, etc. If its too precise or tight, the gears won’t move as freely. There was a balance between form and function. Finally, we agreed to where it is today. During this process, we were able to get the ring protected by numerous patents pending (both design and utility), as well as other Intellectual Property rights, both in the USA and Internationally.

That sounds complicated, lol. Can you tell us a little about the rings?

The Gear Ring is fabricated using 316L, which is the highest quality surgical stainless steel in the jewelry market. Stainless steel is highly durable and resistant to tarnishing, fading, scratching, and rusting. It won’t bend or break and is hypoallergenic for those with metal allergies. We have sizes 5 to 14 and the ring is for both Men & Women. Our rings are covered by a lifetime warranty. If the item becomes damaged or if there seems to be a manufacturer’s defect at any time we will gladly exchange it for a new one.

Nice. So, how can I get one?

Easy. You can either purchase directly from our website or call 1-888-600-8494 between 8:30am to 8:30pm eastern time, Monday-Friday. Comments, returns or all other questions can be sent to our email address — hello (@) kinektdesign.com

What other projects do you have in the works? Necklaces? Tiaras? I would simply adore a tiara with real working gears.

Yes, Kinekt Design seeks to bring you forward-thinking design objects and products that fuse together a modern aesthetic with physical interaction. It can be any objects and we are working on other jewelry related as well as non-jewelry products. Stay tuned.

Very cool, I can’t wait. Thank you so much for joining us. So, now for the important stuff. The contest runs until Saturday, August 14 at 11:59 pm PST. One winner will get a Kinekt gear ring in their choice of size. Please tell your friends.

To enter to win the ring, please sign up for their newsletter by filing out this form.