13 Contemporary Ocean-themed Haute Jewelry Pieces

Inspired by the sea and the creatures within it, this season’s ocean-themed jewelry proves the conch is cool. Move over, cheap beachside souvenirs — ocean-themed jewelry is having a renaissance. Perhaps in retaliation to two years of lockdowns and travel restrictions, or perhaps an inherent graduation of the popular pearl revival, these coastal emblems are no longer tawdry vacation keepsakes, but refined, contemporary pieces that have undergone a luxury makeover.

Puka shells with rope ties have made way for 18-karat gold and diamond insets for a keepsake that can be passed from generation to generation, and modern takes on traditional conch shell designs and sea creatures with opalescent finishes feel more sophisticated than kitschy or novel. In any case, it is believed that in Hawaii the gifting of a shell will ‘wish the recipient goodwill or good luck.’

For a subtle, undulating nod to the tide, look to Fernando Jorge and Jessie Thomas’s wave-inspired pieces as an avant-garde take on the trend. Elsewhere, charms take on the shape of minute shells and sea creatures alike for a downright discernible, yet no less sophisticated, ode to the ocean.