Bling bling ... Bracelets from Jewellery for a Cause. They are made from
guns and bullets recovered during the Newark Police Department's buyback
program.
THE age-old call to beat swords into ploughshares is being answered in
Newark, New Jersey by turning bullets into bling.
Guns and shell casings seized by the Newark Police are being melted
down and made into bracelets by a jewelry company.
A portion of proceeds from each sale goes to fund gun buy-back amnesty
programs in New Jersey's largest city.
The company, Jewellery for a Cause, worked with Newark Mayor Cory
Booker and the city police chief to design the "Calibre Collection".
It features steel bangles and cuffs, each engraved with the serial
number of the illegal gun it was fashioned from.
Brass pieces are made from casings swept from crime scenes in the city,
which has a serious gun violence problem.
The sleek, simple line by designer Jessica Mindich has raised more than
US$20,000 since its debut on November 28, Booker said on The Rachel Maddow Show
on MSNBC.
He said the jewelry and buy-back programs are "not a cure-all, but
everybody has the power to do something little, something small to make a
difference."
The collection has gained added attention since the school shootings in
Newtown, Connecticut prompted US President Barack Obama to launch the biggest
US gun control push in generations.
The Calibre Collection is "a series of pieces that embody the
gun's transformation from a destructive weapon to a powerful symbol of
renewal," the Connecticut-based jewelry maker says on its website
JewelryForACause.net.
Cuffs and bracelets are available with or without diamonds and range in
price from US$150 for the steel cuff to US$375 for the brass bangle with
diamonds. – AP
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