Inhabitat » recycled jewelry

Tara St. James’ Upcycled Zipper Jewelry Adds Zip to Your Wardrobe

Self proclaimed pack-rat and the design mastermind behind the eco-fashion line Study Tara St. James knows how to make upcycling look good. So we weren’t surprised to see that her latest endeavor takes something as mundane as old zippers and transforms them into objects of desire fit for the pages of Vogue (Anna Wintour, if you’re reading this, give Tara a call). Check out all of Tara’s beautiful beribboned, and shockingly affordable, necklaces and accessories before they all get scooped up!

Win the “Ecouterre”: A $170 Limited-Edition Recycled Chain Necklace!

by Yuka Yoneda, 10/13/09

Want to win this dazzling $170 recycled vintage chain necklace? We’re giving it away to one lucky reader on Ecouterre to celebrate the official launch of our dedicated eco-fashion website, Ecouterre! We wanted to do something extra special for our very first giveaway so we got the talented designer and founder of Dirty Librarian Chains, Susan, to whip us up a ONE OF A KIND eco-necklace out of recycled chains and charms. So what are you waiting for? Enter now for your chance to win!

ENTER TO WIN HERE >

Sizzling Stuff for a Sustainable Summer

by Yuka Yoneda, 07/05/09

As summer heats up, we’re looking forward to bikini and pina colada time by the pool. If you’re looking for stylish items to help keep you cool that won’t break the bank or your eco-conscience, here are a few that we can recommend…

READ MORE >

Icy Cool Recycled Eco Jewelry by Kumvana Gomani

by Yuka Yoneda, 06/21/09

When you want to beat the summer heat, there’s nothing more satisfying than the sensation of frosty ice against your skin. Since wearing ice cubes isn’t the most practical idea, you might want to try the next best thing – Sweden-based jewelry artist Kumvana Gomani’s sparkly, refreshing jewelry made of filigreed shards of plastic she reclaimed from old water bottles and ice cream cartons! Just like snowflakes, no two are alike.

READ MORE >

Kumvana Gomani Jewelry Made From Recycled Bottles

As we transition from winter to spring here in NYC, there is no doubt that we all are looking for signs of sparkly renewal and regeneration. Our Spring Greening Contest is certainly one way that we are sprucing up our abodes and the clutter in our lives by making things fresh and new again. One of the most impressive submissions we received for our DIY design contest was this eco sparkly recycled plastic jewelry by Kumvana Gomani. This innovative Swedish designer has found a a great way to turn recycled soda and water bottles into snowflakes and crystallized leaves that radiate green chic bling.

MANA Recycled Jewelry hits NYC with TOUCH | NY

Mana ‘Clasp’ necklace made of recycled hair pins and rubber

We first discovered the stunning recycled jewelry of MANA back in January. Brazilian eco designer Mana Bernardes works with a collective of young women in Rio De Janeiro to refashion bits of urban detritus – plastic bottles, circuit boards, hairpins, phone cards – into gorgeously thought-provoking jewelry. Now the fabulously eco-chic Mana Collection is coming to NYC with the launch of the TOUCH | NY exhibit this weekend, and we can’t wait to check it out at the opening reception tonight.

TOUCH | NY: May 18th -20th
12 noon – 7pm
148 11th Avenue, NY, NY

Recycled Camera Cuffs from Re:vision

Australian designer Craig Arnold has captured the beauty of contemporary design and sustainability with his latest bracelet collection, re:vision. Made from discarded camera parts, these bracelets are a must have accessory for photographers and eco-accessory fans alike. We are of course big proponents of recycling obsolete gadgets into new fashion statements, but Arnold’s fresh take on this eco-fashion principle is a great new idea, one from which we can all draw inspiration.

SUSTAINABLE STYLE: Sid Vintage Reclaimed Jewelry

With the Project Earth Day Eco-Fashion Show less than a week away now, Inhabitat’s Sustainable Style team will be providing its readers with a sneak-peek preview of some of the hottest green fashion to ever grace NYC’s runways and Earth Day venues. Inhabitat’s edgy and stylish Editor-in-Chief, Jill Fehrenbacher, will be a judge for the student competition this year, and the buzz is already circulating about just how much the designers have upped the ante with their sustainable design ingenuity and eco-know-how. (Ahem, move over Project Runway, there are some new couture-stars set to take the stage.) We are launching our designer previews for the April 24th event with the totally alluring designs of Sid Vintage Jewelry. One glance at these ‘tangled’ creations will clue you in as to why designer Nanci Bennett has really ‘caught the eye’ of eco-fashion connoisseurs and style mavens everywhere.

MANA COLLECTION: Stunning Recycled Jewelry by TOUCH

Mana Collection ‘Spatial Card’ necklace made of Recycled Phone Cards and Plastic Magnet Latch

The Mana Collection by TOUCH features one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that cleverly string together social design and environmental responsibility, not to mention recycled treasures from the streets of Brazil. This LA based art/design collective recently introduced a stunning line of artisan made products including furniture, home décor items, ceramics, tableware, jewelry, and limited edition items. They wisely brought on board Mana Bernardes, a young jewelry designer, poet, and visual artist from Rio de Janeiro, to oversee their hip jewelry creations. Detritus and discarded plastics never looked so good, as the Mana Collection is proof that one (wo)man’s trash is another (wo)man’s treasure. These are, for sure, the eco-sparkly jewels of creative re-use.

RECYCLED TEXTILE JEWELRY By Silvina Romero

On my recent trip to Buenos Aires for the Feria Puro Diseño design show, I came across a jewelry designer named Silvina Romero, who makes gorgeous, colorful, and tactile wearable works of art from recycled pieces of fabric and textiles. Silvina started working with discarded textiles about four years ago during the height of the Argentinian economic crisis, gathering scrap fabric, thread, nylon, and more in a neighborhood called Once, where many of fabric dealers and manufacturers set up shop. “Green by necessity,” Silvina turned trash into treasure and has since been recognized for her thoughtfully crafted, truly unique pieces. I bought about seven of her necklaces at a store called Condimentos in Buenos Aires, or you can contact Silvina directly through her website.