Isabelle Barbier
• 3 min read
A new generation of designers has emerged in recent years, and with them, an appetite for more ethical jewelry. These three designers use ocean-related elements to hand-make beautiful and eco-friendly jewelry.
From Bali to Belize, discover the unique pieces of these designers. Some products directly support ocean conservation non-profits - which is a great way to give back to the ocean!
Found At Sea
Etoile Smulders is a free diver and marine conservationist. She grew up in Hong Kong where she witnessed the massacre of sharks first hand: “My childhood memories are plagued with images of whale shark fins on display at shark fin stores. The amount of times I’ve seen a dead shark on the bottom of the reef with no fins is truly alarming.”
She created her first collection of necklaces in 2017 in Bali, using fossilized shark teeth found at sea. Everything is handmade, and 100% cruelty-free.
Her new collection will be available on February 24th, 2020 and 10% of all sales goes to grassroots shark conservation organization and projects worldwide.
Where to Buy: Found At Sea online store
Brooke Kanani
Based in Rhode Island, Brooke Kanani Kahealani Sachs grew up on the beach and in the forest. Her love for nature inspires her jewelry collections. Trained in Poland for four years with an old world craftsman, Brooke designs and makes all her pieces by hand, from start to finish. She often uses precious metals and stones, as a way of paying homage to nature.
Brooke designs collections that directly support ocean conservation NGO’s, such as Ocean First Institute, the BillFish Foundation or Living Sharks Foundation.
She also supports the Lonely Whale Foundation, an incubator that drives impactful market-based change on behalf of the ocean.
Where to Buy: Brooke Kanani online store
Kaj Expressions
Since 2013, Khadija Assales - a native of Belize - has been creating her Lionfish jewelry collection. Lionfish is an invasive species to the caribbean and has no predators. Various schemes to promote population-control usually involve "Lionfish recipes", but Khadija has created another great reason to harvest the fish while raising awareness of the issue.
She uses the non-venomous tails of the Lionfish alongside tarnish-resistant Argentium Silver to create beautiful designs.
The unique pieces quickly have become very popular - she's currently sold out, but keep your eyes open for the production-run!
Where to Buy: Kaj Expressions online store
