Tiffany's Windows Say No to Coral Jewelry

By JCK Online Staff -- JCK Online, 6/4/2009 4:46:00 PM

Tiffany & Co. unveiled store windows worldwide with an “Under the Sea” theme to raise awareness about the damage coral harvesting inflicts on critically important marine ecosystems.

Tiffany window designers created a fantasy world around this serious subject. Each window offers a different view—and a different hue—of the ocean floor. The topography of hills and valleys is shaped by glittering sand and bathed in deep blue, pristine white, lavender or turquoise. Gossamer fabric forms waves of color and bubbles swirl around vibrant coral shapes sculpted in resin. The ocean-themed windows seek to inform the public that corals are living animals. Together with the reef systems which they help create, corals provide marine life with food and fertile grounds for reproduction.

“Today, corals are in crisis—the result of destructive fishing methods, climate change, and their removal for use as decorative objects and jewelry,” said Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and chief executive officer of Tiffany & Co. “In 2002 we discontinued selling coral jewelry, concluding that in a world where corals and reef communities are under siege, we could not be complicit in their destruction. It is our hope to raise consumer awareness of this important issue and to urge fellow jewelers to join us in refusing to sell coral jewelry.”

In addition, Tiffany supports SeaWeb, a nonprofit organization, and its Too Precious to Wear campaign, designed to educate consumers and retailers about coral conservation. Tiffany also backs the reauthorization of a U.S. Coral Reef Conservation Act and the addition of red coral to the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix II, which lists species that could become threatened with extinction if trade is not carefully monitored.

The protection of corals is just one of several initiatives Tiffany has undertaken in the area of social and environmental responsibility. Tiffany is committed to what it calls “sustainable style,” enduring designs of beauty that pose no threat to natural resources.

The “Under the Sea” windows will be on view throughout the summer, with rotating designs from Tiffany’s renowned collections, including Bezet, a new diamond engagement ring.