Jewelry Trends

Under the Sea: Beautiful Ocean-inspired Jewelry

The ocean’s depths hold many mysteries, and designers love to create jewelry inspired by its crashing waves, beautiful shells, and magnificent marine animals.

By 

Kristen Shirley

 |  January 24, 2022

There are many different ways to approach ocean-inspired jewelry. High-jewelry designers use rare gemstones and exquisite craftsmanship to create opulent pieces. Some are abstract, using blue gemstones and diamonds to evoke the colors of the ocean. Others are more literal, shaped like fish, turtles, shells, and even mermaids. More wearable ocean jewelry might include shells or pieces inspired by fish. We’ve rounded up the most beautiful ocean-inspired jewelry.

Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels’ high-jewelry collections are simply breathtaking. The French maison’s president and CEO, Nicolas Bos, has a wild imagination. Each collection he dreams up focuses on a single theme. The Seven Seas collection is one of his most iconic creations. The ocean-inspired pieces highlight the beauty of the waves and the creatures beneath (both real and magical), including starfish, turtles, sirens, and mermaids. The Apsyrtides bracelet uses swirls of sapphire, emerald, and diamond to evoke crashing waves. 

Van Cleef & Arpels Apsyrtides bracelet in 18K white gold with sapphire, emerald, and diamond, $371,000

Lydia Courteille

Lydia Courteille somehow manages to make us fans of the pesky jellyfish with these beautiful earrings. Using traditional techniques, they are crafted from multicolor enamel. At the top, there are two blue starfish. 

Lydia Courteille earrings in 18K white gold and enamel, price on request

Brent Neale 

This chic pendant from Brent Neale is a casual way to show your love of the sea, and it’s perfect to wear on your next beach vacation. The 18K yellow gold shell is highly polished and set with 15 emeralds. Brent Neale has an expansive collection of shell jewelry, including pieces set with diamond, emerald, and multicolor gemstones, as well as semiprecious gemstones. 

Brent Neale large Shell necklace in 18K yellow gold with 1.98 carats emerald, $9,950

Almasika 

The humble cowrie shell takes a turn in the spotlight in Almasika’s Le Cauri Endiamanté collection. She primarily uses highly polished 18K yellow gold and diamonds for these pieces, but she also uses 18K white gold and a chic black gold. The collection comprises rings, necklaces, and earrings in many different sizes. The cowrie shell, cauri in her native French, symbolizes wealth and fortune and is said to bring good luck to the wearer. 

Almasika Le Cauri bracelet in 18K yellow gold, $4,500; Le Cauri Endiamanté necklace in 18K yellow gold with diamond, $2,990

Lucifer Vir Honestus

These earrings from Lucifer Vir Honestus are as close to nature as you can get. The brand sourced beautiful seashells — each a different color — and transformed them into drop earrings. Each is topped with a hand-carved golden setting and a smattering of diamonds. 

Lucifer Vir Honestus Shell earrings in 18K rose gold and shell with .14 carats diamond, $3,260

Selim Mouzannar

These hypnotic earrings from French-Lebanese jewelry designer Selim Mouzannar take an abstract approach to ocean-inspired jewelry. The earrings evoke fish scales — the loveliest ones we’ve ever seen. Each “scale” is outlined in 18K rose gold and has a diamond in the center. Artisans paint the scales with petrol-colored enamel, which has a luminous quality. 

Selim Mouzannar Fish earrings in 18K rose gold with enamel and 1.90 carats diamond, $13,420

Arunashi

These fish-inspired earrings from Arunashi, a Los Angeles-based jewelry brand with roots in India, are simply spectacular. Each fish is hand-carved from 18K yellow gold and set with diamond, mandarin garnet, pink sapphire, and emerald. 

Arunashi Fish earrings in 18K yellow gold with 10.56 carats mandarin garnet, 3.28 carats emerald, 2.28 carats diamond, and 2.21 carats pink sapphire, $39,500

Jenna Blake

We adore this Art Deco-inspired charm from Jenna Blake. The shell is crafted from 18K yellow gold topped with purple enamel and bands of diamonds. At the center, there’s a pear-shaped Muzo emerald with a rich green hue. 

Jenna Blake Shell charm in 18K yellow gold with purple enamel, 1 carat diamond, and emerald, $14,400

Share This Article