Newark, New Jersey mayor Cory Booker has been leading an initiative to get illegal guns off the streets of the city with police seizures and gun buyback programs. So far, the Newark Police Department has collected and cataloged more than 250 firearms and countless shell casings found at crime scenes, and now they’ve come up with an innovative way to recycle the weapons: melt them down and turn them into a series of steel and brass bracelets called The Caliber Collection. “The result,” according to the website, “is a series of pieces that embody the gun’s transformation from a destructive weapon to a powerful symbol of renewal.” Each of the handmade bracelets (which are surprisingly lovely) are etched with the serial number of the gun it used to be, along with the word “Newark.” Prices start at $150, and proceeds from jewelry sales will be used to fund gun buyback programs to get even more guns off the streets. “This [buyback program] is not a cure-all,” Booker recently explained on The Rachel Maddow Show, “but everybody has the power to do something small to make a difference.” [Buzzfeed]
