Are your designs gluten-free?
You bet! Gluten-free, vegan, and no robots were harmed in the production of any Lumen jewelry.
How can two siblings work together?
You know, we fought like bandits when we were kids. But now we get along really well and respect each other’s unique genius. There’s still a good deal of teasing banter, but it only fuels our creativity.
Are you really fourth-generation engineers?
We sure are! Marty grew up surrounded by Legos and trade magazines, and graduated in Mechanical Engineering, twice. Robin earned her Master’s in Mechanical Engineering and went from designing Aerospace thing-a-ma-jigs to bicycles and now runs Lumen full time.
What if I’m not a geek? Can I still wear your stuff?
Totally! We also think it’s really cool that “geek” has gone mainstream. We want to be part of that celebration!
Can I electrocute myself?
Yes. But not with Lumen jewelry! It’s just not possible. We’ve tested it. The solar cell powering each piece carries about the same voltage as a watch battery. And even less current. You just can’t hurt yourself with it.
Will the blinky trigger seizures?
Nope, not scientifically possible. For a blinking light to trigger seizures it must:
- Cover most of the subjects field of vision. Our jewelry is too small and dim to do this, even if you hold your eye right up to it.
- Be at the correct blink rate. Lights that trigger seizures are around 30hz, and our jewelry is much slower.
For more information about photosensitive seizures, check out the Epilepsy Foundation
Do they store data?
Unfortunately no. But our brains are always turning, so stay tuned, you never know what we’ll come up with next.
Are they recycled/up-cycled?
I wish! Sadly, the inside of your computer does not look like a butterfly or a skull. Read more about electronic recycling in this blog post.
Are they waterproof?
Yep! We’ve even dropped ‘em in a toilet. They take a licking and keep on blinking!
How do I charge them up?
They work on an eternal power source — the sun! But if the sun ain’t shinin’ they do run on some artificial lighting sources. Old fashioned incandescent lights are great, as are halogens. Some new LED lighting works too, but high efficiency flourescent bulbs are the worst. Silly progress getting us down. But never fear, they also come equipped with a micro-USB slot so you can quick-charge your bling from any computer — or most cell phone chargers. And don’t fret if you’re not super tech-savvy — we’re including all the details and directions with each piece, so you can get the very most out of your jewelry.
How long do they stay charged?
It depends on the piece. When they’re fully charged, the smaller models will blink for about 90 minutes. The larger pieces can keep going for 5-6 hours. And if you leave it in a sunny window, it’ll just keep going and going, until the sun goes out!
Is there an off switch?
Yes … sort of. You can turn the switch to “direct” and the piece is powered only by the surrounding light. So if you’re still in direct sunlight, they’ll keep blinking. But you’ll be just fine in a movie theater.
I can solder! How do you keep people from stealing your designs?
Um, we don’t. Basically, if you wanna look at our stuff and go through ordering and creating the circuit boards, have at it! We’ll just keep making newer, prettier designs. They say that imitation is a form of flattery — but we’re not sure it’s the highest. If you’re into that sort of thing, we’d much prefer you just buy a kit. That would be sweet!
Speaking of solder, what tools do you recommend?
Any pencil style soldering iron with a pointy tip and between 40-60watts of power will work great. Amazon has a lot of them for under $20. You may use leaded or lead free solder, your choice. FYI the leaded solder isn’t dangerous unless you EAT it, so don’t do that! Solder with a rosin core and about 0.03″ to 0.06″ in diameter is perfect. We also recommend washing your hands after soldering to remove the flux/rosin, it may irritate your eyes if you rub them.
Are there side effects to wearing Lumen?
Yes. You will look even more awesome. Interesting people will want to talk to you. And you may or may not begin to get curious about what’s inside random pieces of technology around you. You have been warned.