#TBT Yellow and Red Planck Bracelet

I'm categorizing this piece under the Throwback Thursday label because, while the bracelet itself is relatively new, it's a destash attempt to use up some very old stock in the ol' bead box.

Yellow and Red Planck Constant Bracelet by Kokoba

The reds turned out very weird when trying to photograph this one. I don't know if it's the combination of weak, pale daylight (#WinterIsComing) with the overhead "warm white" LED and  fluorescent bulb in my office/the itchen, or if there's something about cherry red that's hard to capture or if I did something funny to my settings, but the first round of pictures of this bracelet came out looking hot pink.

All the beads involved are Czech glass. The yellow ones have a cool stripeyness to them that doesn't show up well in the pictures.

It's the yellow beads that "spell" out h (Planck's constant), as per the latest CODATA value. The red round beads are the spaceholders in between digits.

Newly Relisted: Yellow Flower Speed of Light Physics Sciart Bracelet

We are in the middle of summer and I am JUST. LOVING. IT. I'm a night owl but also a sun worshiper. (Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself. I am large. I contain multitudes.) I should absolutely write up about how I spent summer solstice, but that's another post. Today I want to share this cheerful summertime bracelet with you:

Speed of Light Bracelet by Kokoba

These are some old, old beads from what could easily be ten years ago, now? Have I really been at this for that long? Yikes! I'm pretty sure I gutted a Kokoba alpha release for this one, and I like how it turned out.

I'm always disappointed when a memory wire bracelet turns out on the short side—it's like, "Well, I should just make it a regular bracelet with a clasp, then!" And I like the multistrand look of chunkier memory wire bracelets that make it through multiple wraps. This one passes the test!

The yellow beads spell out the digits of c (in meters per second), while the floral beads act as spacers between each digit.

Bracelet available for sale here! You can also pick up other STEM-inspired bracelets or browse other physics-related wares.

Newly Listed: Rhodonite and Mookaite Speed of Light Bracelet

And the fourth Adventure Zone bracelet is now up! Again, this bracelet features the speed of light (in meters per second).

Rhodonite and Mookaite Speed of Light Bracelet by Kokoba

This time it's "spelled" out in pink rhodonite chips, with round mookaite beads acting as spacers in between digits.

Rhodonite and mookaite are both stones I've had in my supplies for a long time, almost since I started making jewelry, but I think this is the first time I've combined them.

I'm pleasantly surprised at how this combination turned out. I don't know why I didn't think mix these stones before, but I'll be sure to revisit it in the future.

Newly Listed: Pink Quartz Speed of Light Bracelet

The third entry in my podcast bracelet series!

Pink Quartz and Rhodonite Speed of Light Bracelet by Kokoba

These are some more chips reclaimed pieces from Kokoba alpha releases: rhodonite, rose quartz, and cherry quartz.

I love the blend of pinks in this one. It's like a little bit of strawberry and cream to wear on your wrist!

The chips spell out the digits of the speed of light (in meters per second). The round rhodonite beads are the spacers between each digit. Most of the ones I made during the podcast binge-crafting session ended up featuring the speed of light. I tend to default to pi, so I have to consciously try to branch out into other fields/numbers.

Newly Listed: Rhodonite Speed of Light Bracelet

Well, I'm back to the land of the living! Jewelry-wise, anyway. A few nights ago I pulled out the ol' bead box and put together a few bracelets while JV and I listened to some podcasts.

There are so many interesting podcasts out there, both amateur and professional, that I want to listen to more often, but I find that I need something to do with my hands while I listen. Otherwise I alternate between spacing out and feeling guilty for not making better use of my time. The net result is that I'm trying to use listening to podcasts to put out more jewelry. (Even though I still have some alpha and beta release backlog to work through and list...)

Rhodonite Speed of Light Bracelet by Kokoba Jewelry

This is the first in a couple new pieces. I'm trying to tilt things towards science, since there's more math than science in the shop right now. This bracelet features the speed of light (in meters per second).

The rhodonite chips are some that I reclaimed from an alpha release, and same with the round beads.

I don't usually work with just one stone in an entire piece, but I figured since I had rhodonite in both round beads and chips, it might be a nice, subtle look to go with. The grays in rhodonite still give it a little bit of visual interest., I think. And the random variation in the size and shape of the chips.

This is a memory wire cuff, which is my favorite to make (it doesn't require a lot of fussing with crimp beads and wire and jump rings) and my favorite to wear (one size fits all, no clasp to fiddle with yet incredibly secure). I try to branch out into other styles, but I keep coming back to memory wire again and again.

Speaking of podcasts, I'm also trying to have them on in the background while I write these up, just to work through the backlog of episodes. So right now I'm writing this up while I listen to The Dirt Nap.

Be on the lookout for more items going up in the following days!

#TBT Truncated Bohr Radius Bracelet in Amethyst and Lapis

Of course as soon as I was featured at STARtorialist's booth at AAS 229, I came down with a cold (and work) and haven't been listing new stuff in the shop. OF COURSE.

One piece I managed to get up there is a Kokoba beta release. Judging by the design this is probably from 2011? Or so?

Truncated Bohr Radius Bracelet by Kokoba

It's more old stock that Lawyer Mom has been holding on to, at any rate.

The number featured is a truncated version of the Bohr radius. I don't usually like truncating the physical constants if I can help it, so I suspect this was a stash buster to use up the rest of some supplies (probably the lapis beads used in between digits). I always have loads of amethyst in my bead box.

(Incidentally, Steven Universe has made it a lot more exciting to just casually mention gemstones in my posts, haha. I wish I could hang out with Amethyst in real life!)

A few years ago I made an effort to branch out into other numbers/constants. Years later I'm not sure which ones I should focus on. The Bohr radius seems a little obscure—maybe I would be better off sticking with G and c? I don't know. Thoughts?

Newly Relisted: Faux Turquoise Gravity Necklace

This time last year I was in the middle of schoolwork and paperwork. This time, things are much more chill (in my life at least—things in the world at large are probably going to get a lot less chill very soon). So happy anniversary you, faux turquoise (dyed howlite) G necklace I put together to decompress! It's a shame no one's adopted you yet. Maybe I need to reshoot some of your photos?

Newtonian Constant of Gravitation Necklace by Kokoba

Otherwise, allow me to reiterate the point I made (one year ago today, actually!) why I have a hard time incorporating G into things, particularly necklaces.

The disadvantage to this particular number is that it's short: it's a physical constant, not an irrational, so it can't go on forever, and even compared to other physical constants I have less to work with it's rather brief: 

Newtonian constant of gravitation: 6.67408: 31 or 32 beads for the digits (depending on the design), and 5 for spacers (if I decide to use them) 

Speed of light: 2.99792548: 55 beads for the digits, and 8 for the spacers (depending on the design) 

Avogadro's number: 6.022140857: 35 or 36 beads (depending on the design) and 9 for spacers (also depending on the design)

so gravity is one of those that ends up being too long for a bracelet, but too short for a necklace. It's good anklet length but who wears those anymore?

Of course, the other option (which I've done on occasion) is to bead a focal piece and then add a chain on either side to make it a comfortable length. A fairly elegant hack, as this allows you to put the entire number on display instead of hiding the first and last few digits on the back of your neck. On the other hand, necklaces tend to slide a lot and so you'll probably end up having to adjust it a couple times a day, or just be cool with the focal point getting pulled halfway up your neck.

Otherwise I tend to stick with bracelets for G, like these:

Newtonian constant of gravitation bracelet by Kokoba

Or this one:

Newtonian constant of gravitation bracelet by Kokoba

If you found me by way of STARtorliast or their booth at AAS 229, don't forget that your discount code is valid all the way until March 31st!

#TBT Electron Mass Necklace

This is a Kokoba beta release. It was originally an item for the Mad Scientists of Etsy!'s monthly challenge at some point in 2013: an item inspired by the discovery of a new species of frog that is the world's smallest vertebrate.

Image courtesy Christopher Austin, LSU

I'm still quite pleased with how it came out.

Electron radius necklace by Kokoba Jewelry

I tried to stick with frog-y colors, and the green aventurine beads you see there are 8 mm in diameter: around the same size of Paedophryne amauensis (which is technically an average of 7.7 mm in length). And since we're talking about something really, really small, what better way to celebrate it than with a subatomic particle?

Newly Listed: Blue Lace Agate Light Speed Necklace

Some of the deep cuts I brought back with me from the US used a lot of blue lace agate. It's a beautiful stone and, quite frankly, the pieces they were in were pretty fugly. I liberated these gorgeous stones from their fashion crime prisons and let them stand on their own, with some random cute and femme-y floral beads I picked up at JoAnn's ages ago.

Light speed necklace by Kokoba Jewelry

I like the contrast of the dainty, vintage-looking beads with the cutting-edge concept of the speed of light (speed of light, here, given in meters / second.). At first glance, it looks like something retro and almost grandmotherly (in the best possible way). You would never suspect it was hiding a nerdy secret. STEMinism at its finest!

I still have some blue lace agate left over. I'm not sure what I'll use them for next. Maybe another chemistry piece? We'll see!

Newly Listed: Bright Pink Physics Gravity Bracelet

I tried to dabble in polymer clay, but ultimately I decided that I wasn't cut out for the task. JV, on the other hand, is a pro at making tiny, delicate things. One of his tricks is folding origami cranes no taller than cigarettes—no joke! (I'll have to ask him to fold a new one sometime, so I can show you.) Other media for tiny, delicate things besides paper? Clay!

At the beginning of the year he experimented with making beads, and gifted a bunch to me. I loved their bright colors but wasn't sure what to use with them until a couple of weeks ago.

G in Pink, Green, and Orange by Kokoba

I think my color tastes are all out of step with the seasons. Cold, dark weather makes me crave bright spring colors; hot summer weather has me thinking about cool autumnal hues.

G in Pink, Green, and Orange

G is always a tricky one to memorialize in jewelry because it's had to measure. Every few years, as technology improves and measurement because more accurate (and sometimes also more precise!), CODATA comes out with new values for some of the physical constants, G included. They've made two updates since I started making and selling jewelry as Kokoba. When this happens, I tend to redo a piece if possible. This isn't always possible, however. In those cases, I indicate which year's value I used. 

G in Pink, Green, and Orange

I look forward to more pieces featuring handmade polymer clay beads! Maybe I'll commission him to make some pi beads next time? What do you think?

Newly Listed: Yellow Glass Speed of Light Bracelet

I wasn't sure if I should blog this one under new, or #tbt, since I cannibalized an older bracelet for the beads in this one. At the end of the day, since I had never listed the original, I decided it should count as a new item.

Speed of Light bracelet by Kokoba

This one features the speed of light (in meters/second), which flowery pillow beads as spacers in between each digit. It's cheerful, and we're all going to need as much cheer as we can find for the next four years.

Sigh.

Speed of Light bracelet by Kokoba

Can we also talk about how Google Photos is a mess? I just got sucked into fiddling with it for at least two hours. I also wiped my Google+ account out of rage. And nothing of value was lost.

Speed of Light bracelet by Kokoba

Newly Listed: Black and Red Newtonian Constant of Gravitation Bracelet

I love thrift shops. I always have. I don't know about where you went to school, but it seemed like where I did everyone shopped at Goodwill or Salvation Army. And not, like, ironically, either. Or maybe semi-ironically. Or maybe totally ironically and I was the only one missing out on the joke. I don't think so, though.

Of course, in Sweden it's a lot harder for me to thrift outfits because, hey, I'm fat! If I'm going to keep it 100, I've been avoiding the thrift stores here for that reason, the same reason I choose the stores I shop at and even kinds of items I look at with a precision one could call "surgical". But a couple of days ago I had the time and the energy so on the way back from picking up a book for school, I swung by Myrorna and was rewarded not only with new (new-to-me but also, it looked and felt like, nearly out-of-the-box new) sneakers to fit my fat feet, but a doozy of a bead find as well: a multistrand necklace of different black wooden beads for a song!

There are a lot of upcoming pieces from this find, but I want to share just the second one with you right now. (The first one found a home almost as soon as I put it up on Facebook. See you soon, Jenny!)

Newtonian Constant of Gravitation bracelet by Kokoba

My bead box has been short on understated neutrals for a while, so my first thought was to put these black beads to work as the meat and potatoes of some pieces (rather than accent beads). As a result, I think they make for a surprisingly unisex/gender-neutral look.

Newtonian Constant of Gravitation bracelet by Kokoba

I also like the snake-y, accordion look of rondelles rather than the usual round beads. It's something different, you know? That's why I love rondelles: they're incredibly versatile but at the same time a little more visually interesting than just plain round beads. 

Newtonian Constant of Gravitation bracelet by Kokoba

Lately I've been working on more chainmaille than anything else, though it's a lot of thought and experimentation and not a whole lot of finished product to show for it. Sometimes I get in a mood where I just want to finish something quick so I can see the end results and get it out into the world, though. Of course now is a really bad time for me to be throwing myself into new ideas and new products, but I guess that's how the procrastinate-y brain works, doesn't it? Anything to keep myself from doing what I actually need to be doing. Oh, well. That just means more goodies to share with you!

Newly Listed: Wood and Waxed Cotton Gravity Lariat Convertible Necklace

I tweeted about this a few days ago and now I get to share it with you!

What happens when you need more necklaces, preferably featuring physics or chemistry, but are scraping the bottom of your bead barrel? You remember that you've been meaning to try your hand at lariat necklaces!

Lariat necklaces are named for their resemblance to actual lariats. Many are designed to be worn without clasps, which makes them naturally adjustable and versatile. You can simply wrap it around your neck a few times, or you can fold the length in half and slip the two ends through the loop (as pictured here).

Newtonian constant of gravitation lariat necklace by Kokoba

This one is light enough to be worn as a chunky bracelet or anklet! It's all in the wrapping.

I think the earthy brown colors are a great match for this 70s retro look, but I intend to bring out a few designs in metal chain as well. 

For simplicity's sake, I didn't do anything fancy with bead placement: the numbers are read from one end of the strong to another. Since people's necks are different sizes, and people have different ways of wrapping things, trying to space things so they'd be in the correct order when worn was not going to happen. That's okay; sometimes it's fun to be a little more subtle and abstract!

Newly Listed: Red Speed of Light Physics Bracelet

This fun little physics number in red Czech glass is the first I've listed in a while. What can I say? I've been busy!

Speed of light bracelet by Kokoba

I suppose the colors are better suited for winter and Christmas than summer, but I'm a rebel! I do what I want!

The spacer beads on this one are some faux cathedral beads I've had for ages. They were perfect for my project at the time (a necklace to go with my outfit for a wedding) but then I never used them again. I don't normally have a lot of red in my bead box, I suppose. 

I've been back in the habit of memory wire bracelets again, too. They're fun and quick, but I think my next few projects should be some science necklaces. Maybe this one will get a matching choker? Stay tuned!

Newly Listed: Turquoise and Pink Newtonian Constant of Gravitation Bracelet

I made this new bright, chirpy piece of gravity sciart a few weeks ago and then nearly forgot to photograph it! That would have been a shame, don't you think?

Newtonian Constant of Gravitation Bracelet by Kokoba

But I'm way more organized than I look or feel, apparently, so not even this sneaky little rascal could slip past my camera lens!

The digits of the Newtonian constant of gravitation are spelled out in the rich blue beads. I'm not sure what color to call them. They're a little more blue than I usually call turquoise, but I can't think of anything better. Indigo, maybe? Seafoam? The lone pink bead you see there is a placeholder for 0. (It makes a nice accent piece too, don't you think?)

(And speaking of physics, this physics infographic with PENGUINS!! has been my favorite #sciart offering this week. Go on, have a look!)

One of the greatest and worst things about being your own jewelry boss is that you can get carried away with color palettes that you love to death. Great because it's fun to work with colors you love! Worse because it's easy to become really repetitive, or only have things that are to your taste in your shop.

Now, I don't believe in following trends or the Pantone color of the year or what have you. I think, if you're an indie artisan, you should make things that you would actually wear (or at least not be embarrassed to wear). But I also believe that it's important to experiment with new styles and color palettes and try to reach out to the customers you have who are almost like you, but not quite. 

It's been a really fun run with these colors I've been using lately—bright pink, indigo-turquoise, fire engine read—and I'm sure I'll come back to them, but my inner store critic is telling me it's time to move on. I'm not entirely sure what I to focus on next. Fiery reds, yellows, and oranges? More maille? (Yes, always more maille.) Understated neutrals? Rich jewel tones? 

Tell me, what colors do you find yourself drawn to these days? Has it been consistent over time, or does it change with moods/life stages/the weather?

Newly Listed: Black and Silver Speed of Light Wrap Bracelet

As I said on Twitter, I want to call this wrap bracelet "disco physics sciart." The silver-colored cubes are flashy (literally—they're quite reflective) and funky, and spell out the speed of light (in a vacuum) (in m / s). The black Czech glass beads act as muted, understated spacers between each digit. It's a look that's aggressive and futuristic.

Black and Silver Speed of Light Wrap Bracelet by Kokoba

This one is actually pretty appropriate for my mood today. I have been jamming out to Rihanna's "Bitch Better Have My Money" over the last few days—in case you couldn't tell by my tweet earlier today:

Dealing with CSN be like... pic.twitter.com/qA6IIgGYF8

— Kokoba Jewelry (@kokoba42) April 4, 2016

Maybe I'm just in a Rihanna sort of mood, but I think this bracelet would totally suit her glam eclectic look. Wouldn't it though?

Pay no attention to the manicure in need of a touch-up.

I don't know why I have Rihanna on the brain in this post. I don't really care for more than a handful of her songs. I guess I've just been itching for really angry, aggressive songs about money in the face of CSN arbitrarily and without notice pushing back my study stipend deposits. "BBHMM" is a pretty good way to scratch that itch. So is Barrett Strong:

I try to take an attitude of mindfulness and gratitude: there's so much that I do have and I shouldn't lose sight of that. But I do not appreciate my money being jerked around for no good reason that I can find or that they can give. Hopefully it'll be sorted by this week, though.

What are your favorite songs about being broke?

Newly Listed: Speed of Light Wrap Bracelet With Red Czech Glass

So I blogged about this speed of light wrap bracelet ages ago. I finally got better pictures maybe two weeks ago. And today I'm listing it!

I solemnly swear that I was up to my eyebrows and work and studies, and not pouring countless hours into Fallout: New Vegas. (Though I might have done some of that as well...)

Speed of light wrap bracelet by Kokoba

I mentioned before that I wasn't entirely jazzed about how this bracelet came out. But I decided to go ahead and list it at my standard wrap bracelet price, anyway. My reasoning is basically: there is nothing about the construction of this bracelet that makes me nervous. I simply do not sell jewelry whose physical integrity I doubt. It's the aesthetics that I don't like, and since I know that I'm a finicky little pedant, there is a good chance that the only person bothered by them is....me! My reasoning is also: if it doesn't sell at this price, I can always discount it. And if it doesn't sell at a discount, I get to wear it. I wasn't so hot on this one before—the colors seem too bold and "Ms. Frizzle" to suit me—but I have to admit that it's grown on me. I wouldn't mind if this one stayed in my jewelry box!

Speed of light wrap bracelet by Kokoba

Also, it's leap day! I know it's not really a holiday or anything to be excited about (unless you're someone born on a leap day), but I like calendar-based excuses to watch things. You bet your bippy I marathoned the Back to the Future movies on the date when Marty McFly went to 2015; I regularly watch Groundhog Day on, well, Groundhog Day; and on Leap Day I watch Pirates of Penzance.

Do you have any special plans or traditions for Leap Day?

Newly Listed: Newtonian Constant of Gravitation in Australian Opal and Fancy Jasper

Things have been a little quiet around here lately. I have to admit: I'm caught up in some really fascinating new reading and also Fallout New Vegas. But I've kept my hands busy, too!

Newtonian constant of gravitation in genuine Australian opal and fancy jasper

Like I've said earlier, I've started really digging into the depths of my bead stash to try and clear out as much as possible. The fancy jasper beads in this bracelet are an example of that. The opal, on the other hand, is a relatively new addition to the bead box. It was a pretty luxurious buy, so this is a piece where I've opted to use some of my sterling findings instead of just base metal. Yes, sometimes I get fancy!

This would be a great treat for any science nerds you know with an October birthday, or just a passion for opal (or Australia!). Go on, indulge.

If you just feel like window shopping today, be sure to stop by The Blue Beehive. Despite being open since 2012, they only just now turned up in my latest sciart search on Etsy. They have a wonderful mix of sciart and just art, like these:

Etched copper trilobite earrings

and this:

Boho style single wrap bracelet

And as always, Twitter is chock full of sciart finds!

Newly Listed: Turquoise, White, and Gold Gravity Necklace

Today was a long Monday for me, so long that I'm actually technically posting this on Tuesday. But since I live in the future, it'll still go up on Monday in the US, where I suspect the vast majority of my readers are. :)

Today was long for two reasons. First, I had to go the immigration office in Solna, a municipality just outside Stockholm. For those of you who are just tuning in: I'm an American immigrant to Sweden. I've been here for just over two years (WHAT) and there are still things that need to be settled and finalized, like a completely worthless piece of plastic that cannot legally function as ID and has zero bearing on the legality of my stay here.

I should tone down the snark, though, because it's not that difficult to actually obtain. What it represents (one's permanent or temporary residence permit) is a little trickier—that requires lots of scans of pieces of identification and questionnaires and a not insignificant amount of money. But I finished that ages ago; I received the decision on my permanent residence permit in November. (Hooray!) But the email said "if we already have your picture and fingerprints, your card will arrive within a week," and it was the last push for NaNo, so I figured I'd wait and see if I got the card before booking an appointment at the immigration office. The week came and went, and I never got the card, but because I should really be more organized I didn't even remember that I needed new prints and a new picture until it was Christmas.

"Ugh, I'm not doing crappy bureaucracy stuff over Christmas," I thought, and put it out of my mind until the New Year. Last week I finally sat down and made the appointment (for today). And it was painless! I don't know why I have such an aversion to booking and showing up for bureaucratic appointments, but there it is.

Of course, today my bangs looked like hell and I had a huge pimple on my chin, but whatever. It's an card literally no one will ever see—I have the standard ID card that every other Swede has and that's what I'm supposed to use instead, so...whatever!

The other reason was that my Russian textbook is due back at the library this week. Yes, Russian! Like I mentioned in the last 5 Fandom Friday, living in Sweden (well, living in Sweden and having a Swedish personal ID number) means that I have access to free classes! In a lot of things! I finished Swedish last year and took a break, and now I've decided to start on Russian. But since the textbook is not free and is $100, I tried my best friend the library and they had it! But unfortunately, I can't renew this particular checkout so I'll have to return the book 3 weeks before the class is over (and it's only a 5-week course!). I'm doing as much work ahead as I can before it's due, so as soon as I got home from Solna I dove straight into Russian studies.

I'm glad I chose a language I'm fairly familiar with (even if it is in random patches); nearly everything so far has been more like a refresher than anything new. The only problem is that it's a distance course, so I have no chance to practice speaking or listening (downside of my best friend the library: the CD that came with the book is scratched beyond usefulness, even after trying to repair it).

That's why I'm not getting around to sharing one of my newest pieces with you until right now!

This one is only a couple of days old. I'm trying really hard to clean out the bead box, so this can definitely be filed under "stash-buster." That's the last of those turquoise nuggets!

Newtonian Constant of Gravitation Necklace by Kokoba

I guess I've been on a turquoise kick lately:

Speed of light in glass, aluminum, and waxed cotton thread. (Not yet listed)

Multistrand pi bracelet in glass and mother-of-pearl on waxed cotton

And I don't know why! I guess I'm just really, really done with winter? We're just coming out of the darkest time of the year here and I couldn't be happier. Then I remember that Stockholm is pretty far south in Sweden, relatively speaking; I don't know how anyone up in Norrland actually survives, honestly. Full-spectrum lighting and lots of coffee, I guess?

Anyway, this latest creation features the Newtonian constant of gravitation, a number I don't work with too often and have been trying to utilize more over the past few months. If I don't make a conscious effort to broaden my horizons, everything in the shop would just be math. Endless, endless pi. But when you look at my sales and keywords, people are buying a lot more than just math jewelry—and they're looking for more than that, too! So I've been trying to lean a little more physics recently.

The disadvantage to this particular number is that it's short: it's a physical constant, not an irrational, so it can't go on forever, and even compared to other physical constants I have less to work with it's rather brief:

Newtonian constant of gravitation: 6.67408: 31 or 32 beads for the digits (depending on the design), and 5 for spacers (if I decide to use them)

Speed of light: 2.99792548: 55 beads for the digits, and 8 for the spacers (depending on the design

Avogadro's number: 6.022140857: 35 or 36 beads (depending on the design) and 9 for spacers (also depending on the design)


so gravity is one of those that ends up being too long for a bracelet, but too short for a necklace (I guess I should start using the concise form, which ironically would be longer?). It's good anklet length but who wears those anymore?

Of course, the other option (which I've done on occasion) is to bead a focal piece and then add a chain on either side to make it a comfortable length. A fairly elegant hack, as this allows you to put the entire number on display instead of hiding the first and last few digits on the back of your neck. On the other hand, necklaces tend to slide a lot and so you'll probably end up having to adjust it a couple times a day, or just be cool with the focal point getting pulled halfway up your neck.

This was the rare case where I had beads large and chunky enough that just by themselves, they were a perfectly acceptable size for a necklace! And the colors are really eye-catching:

Turquoise, white, and "gold" Newtonian constant of gravitation necklace: detail

So if you're with me in trying to beat the winter doldrums, treat yourself to a vibrant little turquoise pick-me-up! Or just browse #sciart. Whatever you do, I hope you all survived your Mondays!