What is Morse Code Jewelry?

Morse code jewelry is not a new idea. Using Morse code in jewelry has changed this communication method from an auditory experience to a tactile and visual one. My Morse Code Collection is different than the typical beaded pieces. My bracelets and necklaces are made with a solid 12 gauge sterling silver rod which have the dots soldered onto them. This helps to prevent the piece from kinking or breaking.

Morse code is a method used in telecommunication to encode text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called dots and dashes. It signaled the first time in human history that complex thoughts could be communicated at long distances almost instantaneously.

Around 1837, the American Artist Samuel Morse developed an early form of Morse code with only numerals in partnership with the telegraph. In 1840, Alfred Vail expanded Morse Code to include letters and special characters. The International Morse Code that we know today was finalized in 1865.

Morse code works by assigning each symbol formed by a sequence of dots dashes. The dot duration is the basic unit of time measurement in Morse Code transmission. The duration of a dash is three times the duration of a dot. Each dot or dash within a character is followed by period of signal absence, called a space, equal to the dot duration.

Morse code was developed as a form of communication over long distances.

In an emergency, Morse code can be generated by improvised methods such as turning a light on and off, tapping on an object or sounding a horn or whistle, making it one of the simplest and most versatile methods of telecommunication. The most common distress signal is SOS • • • - - - • • • three dots, three dashes, and three dots - internationally recognized by treaty.