Skin-protecting jewel coming to Australia

The makers of a small piece of jewellery which measures UV exposure say it will come to Australia by next summer.

Australia's sky-high skin cancer rates may be helped by a small UV light-reading jewel presented at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The June, by French company Netatmo, can be clipped to a leather strap and worn as a bangle or necklace, while simultaneously measuring ambient UV light levels.

It feeds the information into a corresponding smartphone app, which then advises wearers on their maximum daily exposure based on the colour of their skin.

Wearers can monitor their sun dose as a percentage throughout the day.

The app also gives users recommendations on how best to protect their skin with hats, clothing, and sunscreen, even suggesting which SPF they should use.

The jewel, which is roughly the size of an average watch face, is available in gold, platinum and gunmetal colours. It is targeted solely at women.

A company spokesman told AAP it will go on sale in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2014 - just in time for summer.

It will retail for $US99 ($A111) when it launches in the US in the second quarter, but Australian pricing has not been announced.

Wearable gadgetry, such as fitness wristbands and computerised watches, have featured prominently at the electronics trade show.

But manufacturers are increasingly cognisant that if mainstream consumers are to be won over, the gadgets must be stylish.

* Paddy Wood attended the Consumer Electronics Show as a guest of LG


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Source: AAP


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