"It Was a Real Jewel Eye": American Man Implants This Instead of Glass

Creating a Prosthetic Eye with a Diamond Instead of Glass
Mixed Reactions Online to the Diamond-Embedded Artificial Eye

An American man has drawn attention after creating and implanting an artificial eye embedded with jewels following the loss of one of his eyes. On October 20, Yonhap News TV reported that Slater Jones, a jeweler based in Alabama, crafted a prosthetic eye using a two-carat diamond and had it implanted. Jones recently lost all vision in his right eye due to a chronic illness. Faced with the need for a prosthetic, he wanted to use a diamond-a material he had worked with his entire life-instead of the typical glass. Soon after, he collaborated with artificial eye specialist John Im to create a custom prosthetic eye.

An American man who lost one eye has created an artificial eye embedded with jewels and implanted it, drawing attention. YouTube channel KNN News

An actual diamond was attached at the center of the artificial eye. As a result, his eye literally sparkled like a jewel whenever it caught the light. Many online users have expressed their support for his choice, which reflects his identity as a jewelry designer. Jones wrote on his social media, "I lost my eye, but instead, I put new light into my life," adding, "I wanted to transform the loss in my life into art." He also joked, "It's a two-carat diamond. If you ask why it's not three carats, it's simply because it wouldn't fit." John, who made the prosthetic eye for Jones, commented, "Over the past 32 years, I've made about 10,000 artificial eyes for patients ranging from six-week-old infants to 101-year-old seniors, but in terms of materials, this was by far the most valuable prosthesis I have ever created."

An American man who lost one eye gained attention after creating and implanting an artificial eye embedded with jewels. YouTube channel KNN News

His story has rapidly gained traction on social media, with users commenting, "It's like a real-life version of The Happy Prince," and "It's an amazing idea that connects perfectly with his profession." On the other hand, some users expressed concerns, saying, "He could become a target for crime," "I'm not sure if it's actually possible to embed jewels like that," and "It might look scary at night."

Meanwhile, a 'prosthetic eye' refers to an artificial implant that replaces the function of the eye in cases where the eyeball has been removed due to disease or injury, or in cases of congenital or acquired eye development disorders leading to blindness. Prosthetic eyes are made for patients who have received a prescription for a medical device from a doctor. The entire production process is done by hand, taking about six hours per eye. The production cost ranges from 800,000 to 1,000,000 won. Under the current National Health Insurance Act's 'Disability Assistive Device Benefit,' a subsidy of 558,000 won-90% of the maximum benefit amount of 620,000 won (with the same amount provided for basic livelihood security recipients)-is available once every five years.