Jewellery coloured by reef’s beauty

A MOOLOOLABA teenager is making waves across local markets while promoting a message of sustainability with her range of coral reef-inspired jewellery.

Some of the Clayed Coral designs.

A MOOLOOLABA teenager is making waves across local markets while promoting a message of sustainability with her range of coral reef-inspired jewellery.

Alori Gapes, 18, handcrafts lightweight clay earrings that reflect the colours, patterns and beauty of coral reefs, which she sells to raise awareness of ocean-conservation causes.

She came up with the idea for her stall, called Clayed Coral, after she made a metre-long ceramic coral sculpture in high school, and was inspired by the way people connected to the message in her art.

Some of the Clayed Coral designs.

“My Clayed Coral earrings are for people to be able to wear to remind them of the ocean’s beauty and inspire them to do their part to help conserve and look after the world below the surface,” she said. “They are also awesome conversation-starters for coral conservation to get more recognition.”

Some of the Clayed Coral designs.

Alori, who grew up on the Coast, is extremely passionate about caring for coral reefs and uses her market stall to promote and support ocean preservation efforts.

“Unfortunately, it can be easy for people to not realise the damages we inflict on our oceans, as it is not in our face all the time,” she said.

“I donate 10 per cent of profits from Clayed Coral to ocean conservation funds such as Reef Restoration Foundation, who plant new corals on the Great Barrier Reef in order to help restore the damage from bleaching events.”

Each jewellery design is unique and the earrings are made from lightweight clay, hypo-allergenic stainless steel backings and fully compostable packaging.

“I never plan my designs,” Alori said.

“I just sit down, listen to a podcast or some chill music and see what earrings I come up with.

“I love watching coral documentaries and recently went snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef to ‘recharge’ my inspiration for patterns.”

Some of the Clayed Coral designs.

Alori, who has been selling her earrings since early last year, said she couldn’t wait to continue growing her business at markets across the Coast.

She takes part in the Caloundra Street Fair and the Sunshine Coast Collective Markets at Alexandra Headland, and will be joining Eumundi Markets later this year.

“I hope to grow my online store when it launches in March to reach people all across Australia, and my absolute dream for this year is to stock my earrings in some gorgeous boutiques and shops,” she said.

“I am trying my hardest to connect people to the ocean’s beauty to help inspire them to take care of it in their day to day lives.”

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