Jeweller creates ‘world’s first radioactive jewellery’

A 23-year old London jeweller has created what is believed to the world’s first-ever safe-to-wear radioactive jewellery range.

Phillip Bannister, a former engineering student from Barking and Dagenham College, has created radioactive jewellery with precious gems that glow in the dark. He uses radiation rods in his creations, allowing precious metals and gems to glow.

Bannister said: “I first came up with the idea two years ago and I’ve been perfecting it ever since – it’s quite hard to make the rods a part of the jewellery.”

The young designer secured a copyright on the idea of putting radiation into jewellery to create the distinctive glow in February. He claims that each piece of jewellery can glow for 10 years.

Anunnaki Jewels – the startup jewellery brand that he runs with his graphic designer girlfriend Kirsty Sedgwick – so far has nine individual pieces of radioactive jewellery, including the Mayan-inspired ‘Radioactive Crystal Skull Ring’.

Bannister has assured customers this his creations are “completely safe”. He said: “We use tiny amounts of radioactive Hydrogen-3 Triton to create unique pieces of jewellery. Hydrogen-3 Triton is 100%, completely safe because it is a very weak source of radiation; it is a low energy beta emitter and its particles are unable to penetrate the skin.

“It is used widely in modern watches to make the hands glow and has lots of other common uses, such as, it’s often used by night fisherman to make the ends of their rods glow.”