Jewellery studio Sarah and Sebastian has pledged to donate $1 million to ocean conservation projects over the next decade, as it makes an urgent call to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
The Australian jewellery brand, which turns 10 in October, has long made sustainability a core part of its offering, but this year has ramped up its efforts to preserve Australia’s unique — and under threat — marine diversity.
“I always get emotional when I talk about ocean conservation, but it’s such a big part of the Sarah and Sebastian vision — to give back and support our community,” co-founder Sarah Munro told marie claire Australia, describing the next decade as “crucial” for ocean conservation.
Working with filmmaker Alice Wesley-Smith, Sarah and Sebastian have released the second part of a three-part documentary series called ‘Now You See Me’, highlighting the urgent work needed to protect our oceans. This latest offering highlighted the devastating impacts of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef, which has suffered four bleaching events in less than six years.
“Coral is undoubtably resilient, and whilst it is self-generating and regulating, the threats are occurring too quickly for the coral to adapt,” Munro, who filmed the footage on a diving trip, said. “The existance of coral is defined by its harmonious exchange with the ecosystem of the ocean and now is the time to take meaningful action to restore the balance of the environment.”
The documentary, which is narrated by Victoria Lee, premiered at an intimate lunch at Sydney’s Bennelong. During this lunch, Munro and her co-founder Robert Sebastian Grynkofki also announced ‘The Xanthe Project’, a pledge which sees non-for-profit organisations — including the Australian Marine Conservation Society, the Ocean Impact Organisation, the Coral Sea Foundation’s Sea Women of the Great Barrier Reef program, and Take 3 For The Sea — become the beneficiaries of over $1 million over the next decade.
“Donations will be made from various initiatives including collection and product-specific sales as well as ongoing contributions,” Sarah and Sebastian CEO Amelia Fincher said at the lunch. “We will be sharing updates across our channels and invite you all to follow our journey, and the incredible organizations we have partnered with.”
It of course ties in closely with Sarah and Sebastian’s 10-year anniversary ‘Xanthe’ collection released last month, which itself is inspired by the intricacies of coral reef structures. ‘Xanthe’ is derived from the word ‘Zooxanthellae’, a marine algae that lives inside the tissues of coral and help it survive. When the water remains too hot for too long, coral becomes stressed and expels the zooxanthellae, which is then detected as coral bleaching.
“Enamoured by coral, and the underwater world, we wanted Xanthe to be a play between oceanic motifs and quality craftsmanship, pillars that have underpinned our design ethos for the past decade,” Munro said at the lunch.
“During the creation of this collection we reflected on how the ocean has defined our design and brand philosophy, whilst looking ahead to the next decade, the most crucial for ocean conservation.”
Xanthe earpiece ($2,400) and earrings ($1,750), both from Sarah and Sebastian.
You can find out more about The Xanthe Project here.
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