Upon first being introduced to the world of production road cars, carbon fiber was a super-rare, ultra-exotic material that was prized for its lightweight, initially being pressed into service only on high-dollar supercars where money was no object and the performance benefits were well worth the extra expense.

Nowadays, carbon fiber is still relatively uncommon, but nowhere near as much as it once was. That increase in accessibility, combined with its unique appearance, has led to its rise in popularity on plenty of purely aesthetic parts - automotive jewelry, really. Like these spiffy new carbon fiber Stingray emblems for the new Chevrolet Corvette C8.

These Corvette badges come from Nowicki Autosport, and they're made from OE-grade 3K twill carbon fiber and a vinyl ester-infused resin, making them super lightweight and virtually indestructible unless you're really trying. They're hand-polished for a nice sheen with plenty of depth, and they attach with automotive-grade adhesive that won't damage the paint underneath.

Now, the bad news: these carbon fiber Stingray badges are priced at $495 for a set of two door badges plus one rear hatch badge. That's nearly five times the price of Chevrolet's optional factory chrome-finish badges, and just $100 shy of factory red- or yellow-painted brake calipers.

Even still, we don't think Nowicki will have any trouble selling these Stingray emblems. For one thing, there are plenty of other exposed-weave carbon fiber Corvette parts for the badges to match, from a roof to a ground effects package, and even an aftermarket exposed carbon fiber engine cover. And for another, Corvette owners are a particular sort who, generally speaking, take tremendous pride in the way their cars look and have enough disposable income that they can load up on accessories.

After all, this is a car that offers a $995 option to take delivery at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, instead of at the dealership. That's about 80 times what admission to the museum usually costs.