Electronic Jewelry Glows In The Dark

Electronic Jewelry Glows In The Dark FARM HOME Clothes 3-1-29 You and your daughters can literally "light up your life" with Disco Lite, a "first" in electronic jewelry that not only glows in the dark but sends out an attractive blinking signal. "It's as if we took the filament out of a small, blinking Christmas light bulb and planted it inside a tiny cube," explains Eston Hustad, Long Lake, Minn., retired IBM computer expert. He teamed up with E. L. "Mickey" Owens, a Rochester, Minn., antique dealer, to develop what promises to be the most talked about new jewelry you've ever worn. Small gold-plated cubes about 3/a the size of a sugar cube are available as matched pierced earrings, as a ring, or as a necklace. Owens describes the blinking light emitted by the cube as "a very soft, dainty signal that very quietly and discretely will make you the center of attraction. It's not a bright, gaudy light that would make you look like a walking Christmas tree." Hustad and Owens worked for 3 years to get parts for the blinking light small enough to fit inside the small, self-contained cube. They searched around the world before finally finding a manufacturer in Taiwan who could do the miniscule wiring inside the cube, "at the price we could afford," explains Hustad. There is no bulb inside the cube. The light is Provided "by a light emitting diode (LED) that doesn't give off any heat, and never wears out. Power is provided by a small hearing aid battery that is easily inserted into the cube each time the jewelry is worn. "A battery will last for about 160 hours. We tell young girls that the cost for batteries figures out to only about 21/z cents per date," says Owens. "You don't put the battery in until you're ready to wear the jewelry, and you take it out when you get home. Replacement batteries are readily available for about $1.00 each. To demonstrate the durability and safety of the new electronic jewelry, Owens throws the cubes against a wall, or submerges them under water, to show how the light continues to operate. "If you forget to remove the jewelry before going into the tub or shower, it wouldn't hurt either you or the jewelry in the least," he points out. The new jewelry has just been introduced nationwide and was recently featured in a major department store in London. "Initially, we thought it would appeal mostly to young girls but we're discovering that women of all ages are intrigued by the product since it's not gaudy. We wanted those who wear it to be comfortable wearing it any place and at any time," Owens told FARM SHOW. Cost of a single gold plated cube made into a necklace or ring is $11.95 each, including shipping. Ring sizes are available in small (5¢), medium (7), or large (8). A pair of cubes made into a set of matched pierced earrings sells for $23.95. For more details, contact; FARM SHOW Followup, Disco Lite, c/o Candella, Box 326, Long Lake, Minn. 55356 (ph. 612 473-0990).

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