Retail jewelers always hear how civic-minded younger demographics are when it comes to fair trade jewelry, but Embarrato was surprised more younger buyers haven’t been snapping up more tar ball jewelry. “Twenty percent of sales proceeds will not only go to raise environmental awareness, but will also help families affected by the massive oil spill,” says Embarrato. Those who attended the November store event liked the variety of tar ball jewelry designs and the cause marketing dynamic to Embarrato’s tar ball sales, which goes to Vanishing America. But media coverage continued, which gave the tar ball jewelry the momentum it needed during the holiday season.”Ĭustomer reaction to the jewelry has been positive. We held a reception on November 20 when roughly 50 people attended. “I also sent 2,000 invitations to customers from my store’s database. “Once these groups were on board, they sent out notices to their email distribution groups,” says Embarrato. Part of the reason for the success of the store event was coordinating it with the Spruill Center for the Arts, Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, Chastain Arts Center, and the Georgia Goldsmith Group. Embarrato garnered much in terms of media attention for the soft launch event by tapping in to Atlanta’s arts community. The soft launch was a good practice session for the main tar ball jewelry event happening on April 29. “We sold about half the tar ball jewelry we had in stock before Christmas,” says Embarrato. And in early November, they delivered a total of 80 pieces for Embarrato’s pre-Christmas soft launch. Last fall, the two jewelry designers each committed to making 40 pieces of tar ball jewelry. Shondra Leigh’s large oval pendant in recycled 14k gold and silver tar painting necklace with black diamond charms $900 She also incorporated Holt Webb’s micro-photographs in her designs. Price points were also a consideration, so Nation used many alternative metals such as copper.

Light crude dispersions for Nation also produced rainbow-like colors, which inspired her to use various gemstones and pearls in her tar ball jewelry designs. In her studio, Nation was producing sepia-colored patterns that look like Rorschach ink blot tests. Also a supporter of Vanishing America, Nation was willing to see what interpretations she could create. To meet anticipated demand in the Atlanta market, Embarrato introduced Leigh to his friend and jewelry designer Rochelle Nation. Embarrato wanted to roll out the tar ball jewelry in time for the upcoming Christmas season. Production quickly began in late September. Leigh knew then she had developed a viable technique to create consistent and repeatable results. The unique shapes-which look like common animal print patterns (zebra and tiger stripes)-are created when pressing the tar in between the quartz and silver. The tar is not viscous and does not flow when the bezel cut meets the edges of the sterling silver plate. To ensure the oil was sealed in an air-tight environment, Leigh put the tar balls on sterling silver then placed pieces of natural clear bezel-cut quartz crystal on top. The challenge was making sure the light crude didn’t spill again, this time on a customer’s body or clothing. Shondra Leigh’s recycled silver tar painting “cocktail” rings $185 “I even asked my daughter’s third-grade science teacher for advice,” says Leigh.

The designer made many inquiries within her network of technical and creative friends. These were tall orders, but Leigh was determined to make it all work. And the jewelry had to have an affordable price tag that would allow for enough of a margin to sustain production while providing proceeds to benefit Vanishing America. She also wanted her tar ball jewelry to be made with fair trade materials (such as recycled gold and leather).

Leigh liked the idea but wanted to produce tar ball jewelry that would be in keeping with her high-end, high quality designs. The opportunity to put words into action presented itself when environmentalist and friend Holt Webb asked Leigh to make jewelry using tar balls as part of a fundraiser for Vanishing America to benefit residents the writer, photographer and blogger had befriended while documenting the oil spill last summer. “There was never a doubt in my mind that we would do something about it ,” says Embarrato. The two not only share a passion for unique, high-end jewelry, but they’re also very committed environmentalists. Last September, Topaz Gallery owner Peter Embarrato was approached by longtime friend Leigh about her tar ball jewelry idea. Last year Leigh and another designer started making oil spill jewelry that’s now the central part of an environmental awareness, cause marketing campaign for a fellow Atlanta-based retail jeweler partner. When British Petroleum handed the Gulf Coast tar balls, she made jewelry. Jewelry designer Shondra Leigh is a pragmatist.

Paparazzi oil spill hoops