New Jewelry is One in The Eye For Parents

Just as parents had started to get over seeing their teenage children covered in tattoos and pierced in some very tender places, along comes a new fashion statement that is sure to horrify them - eyeball jewelry.

 

Dutch eye surgeons have implanted tiny pieces of jewelry called ‘JewelEye’ in the mucous membrane of the eyes of six women and one man in cosmetic surgery pioneered by an ophthalmic surgery research and development institute in Rotterdam.

A 3.5 mm wide piece of specially developed jewelry such as a glittering half-moon or heart is inserted into the eye's mucous membrane under local anesthetic at a cost of 500 to 1,000 euros ($600 to $1,200).

The jewelry is inserted in the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane lining the inner surface of the eyelids and front of the eyeball, in sterile conditions using an operating microscope in a procedure that takes about 15 minutes.

The pioneers of the operation said no damage is caused to the eye and no side effects or complications have been recorded. They also claim to have a waiting list for people wanting the implant.