Between unemployment figures and the stock market, it’s hard to watch the evening news and not get depressed. But it’s vital to remember that we are lucky enough in this country to be able to take for granted certain basic essentials, like clean water and efficient sanitation. For over 1.1 billion people around the world — or one in six of us — knowing that the water supply is safe to drink is a luxury … and an unaffordable one at that.
One of the organizations working to improve that situation is charity: water, which builds wells in developing countries to create a sustainable, safe water supply for communities in need. The initiative is not only raising money from straightforward donations, but is also getting support through a range of events and charity items from fashionable names like Saks Fifth Avenue, Theory and Miss Sixty … as well as jewelry designer Monique Péan, who created this necklace as part of a capsule collection benefiting the charity.
Péan’s charity: water collection includes several necklaces and bold cuff links in the shape of a map of Africa; half of the purchase price of each item goes to the organization, which means that at least 10 people are ensured clean water for 20 years with every purchase. This piece is anchored by a blue diamond — cut to resemble a large drop of water — that dangles from a solid 18-carat gold chain. In spite of its preciousness, it’s somehow better suited to wearing every day with jeans than accessorizing a ball gown. Of course the diamond is conflict-free, and the gold is actually recycled, in part to underline the fact that mining in some third world countries is a major source of water pollution.
Many of Péan’s pieces retail for tens of thousands of dollars, but the charity: water collection is less expensive than that. (This piece is $795.) And social responsibility is omnipresent in her work: Her other main collection, called Bering, incorporates unusual materials like woolly mammoth ivory and walrus that are carved by Eskimos, helping preserve their native arts. She has also launched a foundation to help underprivileged Haitian children. And conflict-free gems and recycled gold are used in her work across the board, not in just the charity: water pieces.
A $795 necklace might seem like a lot — particularly if you watch the evening news — but as a beautiful purchase that also helps people in need, it certainly seems like a better investment than most stocks at the moment …
Monique Péan charity: water Drop of Water Necklace. $795, www.moniquepean.com.
