Emmanuel Tarpin, the high jewelry designer known for his flora-and-fauna-inspired pieces, is creating a series of jewels that will benefit environmental causes—like the work of Coral Gardeners, a NGO that works to preserve and regenerate the coral reefs in French Polynesia.
Tarpin, who grew up near the French Alps, has always drawn inspiration from the plants, animals, and vegetation found in nature, and the deep sea provides the same fodder for his work as well. Inspired by his dives in French Polynesia, the Paris-based Tarpin has created a jellyfish brooch that is set with hand-carved rock crystal to reflect the translucent quality of the animal, as well as titanium paved with diamonds for the tentacles. The piece is also articulated to move just like a jellyfish would.
“Diving is a true passion," says Tarpin. "The life under the sea is another world, full of colors and textures, which always fascinates me. I remember the first time I was stung by a jellyfish. I felt the pain, of course, but I was also mesmerized by the beauty of this animal. Its movement, transparency, and natural elegance. This brooch is my way to represent the beauty of the jellyfish."
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Coral reefs around the world are threatened by pollution, with a decline rate of 30 to 50 percent of the reefs themselves since the 1980's. A reef's coral houses about 25 percent of marine life in the oceans, making them an important natural habitat that is steadily disappearing. They also protect shorelines and produce oxygen, as well as food. Titouan Bernicot, who is originally from French Polynesia, founded Coral Gardeners with the mission to grow coral in underwater nurseries. Once the coral reaches a certain level of maturity, trained divers attach them to the depleted reefs. Tarpin has volunteered with the organization and is now using his talent to give back in a new way.
“As nature is my inspiration, I’m able to help them in a physical way because I'm always very curious about how they work and their process," says Tarpin. "I wanted to create a link between my two passions: jewelry and nature. The idea is to create a one-of-a-kind high jewelry piece with most of the benefits [going] directly to the association to help them in their work. A piece inspired by the sea.”
Tarpin, who burst on the jewelry scene at the age of 25 with the spectacular sale of his Geranium Leaf earrings through Christie's, creates pieces that are collected around the world. This jellyfish brooch will go to a lucky client, as all of his jewels are sold through private appointments only. But, this is just the beginning, as Tarpin will be creating more pieces to benefit other organizations as well—like an ecological pearl farm in Tahiti and an opal mine in Mexico.
“I want to become fully immersed in the process of creating jewels, and I want to communicate this process in my pieces,” Tarpin says. “I want to be close to the people and the work they do, which make my creations possible. Each jewel I create reflects who I am as a person. Each of these experiences will add layers of depth to my work. At the same time, I want to be involved in projects that can help create a more environmentally sustainable world. I feel as an artist and an environmentalist it is my duty to do this.”
