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An Interview with Jewelry Designer Simon Cardwell

Creating Conversation-Starting Jewelry With Conservation In Mind

We are only just discovering the amazing benefits that corals hold. —Simon Cardwell

Simon Cardwell, founder of jewelry company Cheeky Monkey Jewelry, has teamed up with SeaWeb's Too Precious To Wear campaign in order to raise awareness about the threats facing precious corals. Cheeky Monkey Jewelry is committed to using Earth-friendly materials and resources to create fashionable jewelry that makes a positive environmental statement.

Cardwell's new Lophelia collection is inspired by precious corals and made entirely out of recycled materials. The collection launches prior to the start of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) Council of Parties 15, the international meeting during which red and pink corals will be considered for greater protection. Ten percent of the sales of the Lophelia collection will be donated to SeaWeb's Too Precious To Wear campaign.

SeaWeb talked with Cardwell about how his jewelry makes a difference and why corals matter.

SeaWeb: Explain Cheeky Monkey Jewelry in six words or less.

Cardwell: Jewelry that doesn't cost the Earth

SW: How did you get involved in jewelry making, and specifically into recycled jewelry?

This necklace is adorned with a mix of sapphires. Cheeky Monkey Jewelry

Cardwell: Animal welfare and nature have always been important to me, but they are even more so after spending a year in South Africa on a game reserve, teaching underprivileged children art and sculpture. I learned a lot about issues facing many animals and their habitat. Later, I was asked to design an engagement ring for Bob Guiney from "The Bachelor" show. This gave me a great publicity opportunity to educate and spread an eco-message. Most consumers don't know where the gold in their products comes from or how it is mined. Gold mining is a dirty industry: it can displace communities, contaminate drinking water, hurt animals and destroy pristine environments.

SW: Does Cheeky Monkey Jewelry have a specific sustainability policy?

Cardwell: We only use recycled metals in our products. Much is derived from circuit boards from electrical goods that otherwise would be dumped in landfills. All our packaging comes from post-consumer waste and is printed with soy-based inks. All our stones are either fair trade or recycled. We strongly believe in making everything right here in the United States so we can keep a close eye on quality while cutting down on our carbon footprint.

SW: Why did you get Cheeky Monkey Jewelry involved with SeaWeb and Too Precious to Wear?

Cardwell: To help educate consumers as to why they should buy recycled metals in the jewelry market place and to promote the plight of protecting our oceans' fragile coral reefs for future generations.

SW: How can the Lophelia collection help consumers become more aware about issues facing the ocean?

Cardwell: In short, as a conversation starter. Lophelia, a deep-sea coral famed for its pure white appearance, grows at depths where sunlight cannot penetrate. Now protected, our Lophelia collection, made from recycled and fair-trade materials, conjures the same mysteries that the ocean's depths still hold. When a customer purchases any piece from this collection, our hope is to not just sell him or her an item of jewelry but to also sell its story, which can be passed on.

SW: Why is it important to use coral solely as inspiration in art, fashion and jewelry?

Cardwell: Coral reefs are our ocean's rainforests. We are only just discovering the amazing benefits that corals hold. Many of our life-saving drugs derive from coral-based elements. This is why they should be protected!

SW: Red and pink corals will be up for consideration for an Appendix II listing at the March 2010 CITES conference in Doha, Qatar. The listing would provide much-needed protection and monitoring for precious corals. Do you support this listing, and if so, why should the delegates at the conference?

Cardwell: Cheeky Monkey Jewelry stands behind all animal conservation but it has a particular interest in the March 2010 CITES conference in Doha, Qatar. The Appendix II listing of red and pink corals at this conference represents a vital opportunity for delegates to protect one of the elements most important to the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.

These earrings are available in both gold and silver. Cheeky Monkey Jewelry

SW: Have you noticed a shift in the marketplace, with consumers requesting more recycled and eco-friendly products?

Cardwell: Yes, it took some time for American consumers to catch up with their European counterparts. But the tide is turning and people are realizing the importance of reusing and recycling, not just for the present generation but for our future development as a species.

SW: Do you feel your collections can serve as an important reminder to your peers that sustainability and environmental protection is not hard to achieve?

Cardwell: YES! Cheeky Monkey Jewelry was one of the first jewelry companies in the United States to use recycled and fair-trade materials. Since our conception, hundreds of other businesses have taken the eco-stage. I believe we have shown that being sustainable and eco-friendly can be economically sound practice.

SW: What else can consumers do to make sure corals and reefs remain healthy?

Cardwell: Sign Too Precious to Wear's pledge indicating they won't buy real coral items in the future, and spread its important message wherever possible. Many people don't even know that coral are living entities or that they provide food and shelter for 25 percent of all marine fish species.

SW: What is next for Cheeky Monkey Jewelry's commitment to sustainability?

Cardwell: We are always looking for new, greener materials and more efficient ways of producing our jewelry. Cheeky Monkey Jewelry is one of the only jewelry companies that makes its products only in the United States. We hope to continue this trend and to educate others about our practices through the many green forums available.

Simon Cardwell was born in Cambridge, England, and graduated from London's Kingston University with an honors degree in painting and art history. Years later, while working on a South Africa game reserve teaching underprivileged children art and sculpture, Cardwell found himself in awe of the animals, particularly a rhino with whom he came nose-to-nose and who spared his life. Cheeky Monkey Jewelry's handmade pieces are a tribute to the animals and planet he's come to know and love, and now seeks to protect.