Science Gifts, Solved.
Ever since I was a kid, art and science have battled for my attention. At the age of 14, I started Beadwork by Amanda to sell my jewelry at craft shows, mostly because my creative output exceeded my family’s capacity for “just one more piece.”
But when it came to academics, science stole my heart, and I took it all the way to a chemistry PhD—in semiconductors, no less! You can probably guess where this story is headed…
I discovered broken circuit boards in the lab while attending Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and decided to experiment by casting them in resin to create pendants. The result was striking, and craft show customers fell in love with the interplay between art and science. Circuit Breaker Labs was born.
As interest grew, my days were spent synthesizing quantum dots (tiny semiconductor crystals) while nights were all about perfecting my artistic process.
This is the part of the story where both paths converge.
After successfully defending my PhD thesis in 2016, I directed all my energy toward growing the business. We are now one of the most prolific creators of handmade and custom circuit board art in the world, and it’s all made in our Washington, D.C. studio.
In 2021 we expanded the business to celebrate all STEM disciplines, not just the “T,” so Circuit Breaker Labs is now an exclusive product line within our broader Because Science store. Here you’ll find our handmade jewelry alongside laser cut uteruses and periodic table keychains. Because we love making those things too.
