BRAND & ARTIST BIO:

Every piece of jewelry is handcrafted here in Hawaii by New York Times featured artist Karen Sawicki. As a lifelong diver, Karen dives for all of the shells in Flotsam & Co. jewelry— many of them rare or found in excess of 100+ feet. Just as “Flotsam” describes found items washed ashore, Flotsam & Co incorporates found materials into its jewelry, giving new form and life to objects which may otherwise be considered debris and detritus.

With a background in fine art and design from The Cooper Union in New York City, Karen uses all of her fine art skills to bring a completely new line of jewelry that marries her love of the Ocean with her passion for design. Starting Flotsam & Co. in 2012, her original jewelry has been featured in countless international publications.

Karen spent years perfecting and experimenting some of the jewelry techniques to showcase her sunrise shells. The 24kt gold electroplating technique is a signature item to Flotsam & Co, as Karen was the first to develop this unparalleled way to set shells and stones in an organic setting. This technique, normally used with precious stones and gems, gives found objects new life and hilights the beauty in these natural elements.