Ethically aware designers are highlighting the oceans’ plight with a fresh, new trend.
Shells were the global jewelry hit this summer. Whether crafted in precious materials or literally picked up off the beach, this look was everywhere. Yet look beyond the sand, into the froth of the ocean, and you’ll find a much deeper trend that wells up from a sentiment more meaningful than fashionable sundowners at the tiki bar.
Our oceans are in crisis. Overfishing and climate change are destroying underwater habitats, while islands of floating discarded plastic blight locations such as the Caribbean, harming wildlife and destroying scenes of natural beauty.
Ethical awareness is an overarching trend in fashion as well as consumerism, and jewelers have been using their creative talents to bring the oceans’ plight to light. Jewelry brands Tamara Comolli and Ricciardi have structured their businesses around pledging profits to action charity Oceana, while Henryka, Alex and Ani, Alex Monroe and others jumped on World Oceans Day in June to create limited-edition collections and marketing campaigns.
This heightened focus on the oceans has also reminded us just how beautiful what lies beneath the surface can be. It has fueled designers’ imaginations, leading to jewels that capture all the majesty and magic of azure waters and crashing waves, as well as the quirks of the coral and sea creatures that live beneath them.
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