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Crash! Junk to Luxury Jewelry


The world of luxury vehicles and sophisticated jewelry collide in artistic and compelling pieces by Crash Couture. Christi Schimpke, owner and designer of Crash by Minabea, creates her masterpieces from her husband’s auto-body shop in LA. His shop isn’t the run of of the mill mechanic and junk yard, he caters to the affluent and their damaged luxury vehicles. You’re likely to see a Maserati or two, Bentleys and Teslas, maybe an Audi, a few Mercedes-Benz and Lamborghini, Ferraris, even a Porsche waiting to be fixed.

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Jaguar F-TYPE Leather Cuff

Schimpke’s pieces range from $450 to $10k, a wide variety of luxuriousness not just catering to women. Crash Couture creates fashionable items for men and women, as well as unisex styles. In fact, some of her most popular pieces are for men, and include robust leather cuffs, money holders, fobs, and sharp cuff-links. Men can make their own fashion statement with the likes of the Jaguar F-TYPE cuff ($110), a sleek and classic look, or the Upcycled Mercedes-Benz G550 Cuff ($94),- a more rugged and modern fashion statement.

 Artsy Audi S7

Artsy Audi S7

Crash Couture’s unique pieces currently feature semi-precious stones, riveted onto carefully selected metal from damaged luxury vehicles. These rivets are the only way to fasten the ornate stones, but this method makes for a firm and durable hold. The metal, after being pressed and polished back into prime condition, is engraved, by hand, with elaborate designs. Some of the most eye-catching and dazzling works include the Artsy Audi S7 ($460) – cuff engraving and styling reminiscent of 19th stained glass, the floral and fashionable Mercedes-Benz SLS Malachite cuff ($380), and the wild Upcycled Porsche Leopard Print earrings ($189).

The future looks bright for Christi and Crash Couture. She told Forbes when asked about what was next for Crash,

I just acquired a Lamborghini Gallardo in a very special color – Arancio Argos – a gorgeous orangey red… I am in the process of designing a cuff with diamonds and colored gemstones set into the car metal for a much more luxurious experience.”

The next line will feature pieces with custom VIN numbers to indicate their exclusivity and limited availability. An inscription on the inner band will display the car make, complementing the Certificate of Authenticity, which provides the details of make, model and creation date of the piece. For an additional bit of luxury, you can opt-in for a leather or lambskin cuff liner. These little liners are form-fitted to the cuff and are completely color customizable, transforming an elegant piece an everyday element.

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You may have spotted some of these hot treasures adorning CEO’s and celebrities. Like the earrings worn by Katerina Graham or Olga Fonda in “Vampire Diaries”, both were fabulous gold earrings. Brigid Barnnagh of “Army Wives” is a fan of Minabea, and Terry Crews’ wife, Rebecca was spotted wearing a gorgeous necklace. If you’d like to own one of these unique and extravagant pieces, head over to the Minabea site to look the the Crash Collection. For the full story from Forbes, check out the article by Jim Dobson. Keep up the latest news by following the Minabea blog. They’ve also got a Pinterest and a Facebook page to follow. If you liked this article, remember to rate  and subscribe. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Christi Schimpke at her Workbench

 

Photo Credits: forbes.com, prweb.com, minabea.com

Final Thoughts

What luxury vehicle would you want made into jewelry? How many stars would rate Crash Couture?

Overall Score 5
Readers Rating
1 votes
5