Susan Rockefeller: Protecting What’s Precious

By Arwa Lodhi

Susan Rockefeller knows how to use creativity for a good cause.  In fact, she calls what she does ‘creative conservation’, and  through film, photography and design, the philanthropist has sparked awareness of the issues that are dearest to her.

Sitting on the boards of several charities, including the We are Family Foundation, the Stone Barns Centre, Americans for the Arts and the National Resources Defence Council, Susan is also the Chair of Oceana’s Ocean Council, and ocean conservation is certainly one of her most cherished causes.

She has recently created a fine jewellery line called sR, which she says ‘creatively raises awareness for the essential need for balance in our world and in our lives’. Her ocean-inspired “Dive Deep” collection, composed of Honora Ming pearls, white sapphires, and statement pieces in the form of her brand symbol, the mermaid, encourages consumers to embrace the sR motto “Protect What is Precious.”

A thoroughly eco-friendly jewellery collection, all of the metals used for sR are recycled, and of course, pearls are an eco-friendly ‘gem of the sea’. But why even create such a collection? Susan says the purpose is mainly to get people who normally wouldn’t be involved in environmental causes to start a conversation about Ocean Conservation: while some ‘society women’ won’t openly talk about environmental issues, they will most certainly always talk about what other women are wearing, and that’s why the story behind the jewellery is essential.

To see a video of the jewellery shoot, featuring model Almudena Fernandez, click here.