Giant Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Brooch

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed)
Apr 15th 2006 at 8:30AM

Designer Jared Gold is doing something different with his latest jeweled creation. Though sold as an ornament, his Giant Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Brooch is really a sort of pet, albeit a bejeweled one. Live, 3-inch long tropical cockroaches have Swarovski crystals glued onto their hard shells and are attached to a cameo pin with a silver chain; they can crawl around their owners shoulders and arms. All the roaches are male, to ensure sterility, and must be properly cared for to reach their life expectancy of one year. They eat bananas and need access to fresh water, or at least to a damp cloth, at all times.

They're not really my cup of tea, as I can see forgetting that the little guy was there and jumping up screaming when I felt him crawl onto the back of my neck. If you're interested, however, they are shipped overnight and sell for $80.

Tags: animal, brooch, cockroach, crystal, designer, Giant Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, Jared Gold, JaredGold, jewelry, pet, pets, swarovski, trends, utah