PROJECTS: LED Filament Jewelry
Retro-Futuristic
LED Ring
Make a mysterious, sci-fi inspired,
glowy ring using LED filaments
Written and photographed by Charlyn Gonda
CHARLYN GONDA is a coder by
day, maker by night from Alameda,
California. She loves to create
delightful, often glowy things that
bring a bit of joy into the world.
78 makezine.com
I’ve noticed that some of the newer sci-fi films
and TV shows are less about metallic shiny
silver spaceships, and more about organic earth
tones and devices with hints of gold. Instead
of blocky LED bars, modern sci-fi props have a
mysterious glow, with designs that look like they
could be found in an archaeological dig.
This ring was a product of some
experimentation and was somewhat of an
accident, but I absolutely love how it feels like
something that came out of the 2021 Dune
movie. It’s a simple build but requires some
careful soldering — because the brass ring itself
conducts the low voltage that lights up the LEDs.
1. BEND TWO V-SHAPED RINGS
1a. Cut one brass rod in half — this is probably
too much length but you’ll want to be able to
customize it to your finger size (Figure
A
).
TIME REQUIRED:
2–3 Hours
DIFFICULTY:
Easy/Moderate
COST:
$15–$20
MATERIALS
» LED filaments, 26mm long (3) Adafruit 5505.
These are the non-flexible kind that you see in
retro Edison-style bulbs.
» Coin cell battery holder, CR1220, SMD type
Digi-Key 36-1072-ND
» Brass rod, ⁄" (1.19mm) diameter, 12" long
K&S Metals 8161
» Coin cell battery, 1220 size
TOOLS
» Soldering iron and lead-free solder
» Solder fume extractor
» Water-soluble flux such as Chemtronics
» Small detail paintbrush
» Third hand tool
» Big Wrapper Pliers, 13/16/20mm Beadsmith
XTL-5039
» Needlenose pliers
» Flush cutters
» Fine sandpaper
» Steel wool
» Optional: Kapton tape, ring mandrel with ring
sizes, ring sizing kit, alligator clips
M85_078-81_LEDring_F1.indd 78M85_078-81_LEDring_F1.indd 78 4/9/23 2:29 PM4/9/23 2:29 PM
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