Eco-Chic Baubles from Monique Pean
Friday, April 16, 2010 at 1:44 PM 
Jewelry by Monique Pean
Accessories may seem to receive less attention on this blog, not because they're less admired than the first lady's clothes, but simply because their designers are often more difficult to pin down. Thus, I was excited to learn a bit more about the jewelry Mrs. O wore at various stops during her recent trip to Mexico, and hope you enjoy too!
The pieces Mrs. O wore on her arrival and departure from Mexico City are the work of jewelry designer Monique Pean. Hers is one of the first luxury collections to highlight the importance of sustainability. She uses 100% recycled gold, with the goal of reducing the demand for the dirty mining of precious metals. She also utilizes fair trade, and devastation-free and conflict-free stones in her pieces. Ten percent of the profit from each piece of jewelry goes to support Alaska Native art and culture, or to provide clean water wells to developing communities in need.
The fashion industry has taken notice of this potent combination of style and substance. Ms. Pean received the CFDA/ VOGUE Fashion Fund prize in 2009, and is the recipient of the 2009 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award for Accessories. Ms. Pean was just named as one of ten women on the rise in the May 2010 anniversary issue of O magazine.
A bit more on the Monique Pean pieces worn by Mrs. O, three of which are shown above:
- Monique Pean mammoth hand-carved scrimshaw cuff with southeast asian drawing style (bottom left)
- Mark Davis for Monique Péan Fossilized woolly mammoth ivory bangle with black spinel and smokey quartz, 20mm, 18k recycled gold (top left)
- 25,000 year old fossilized woolly mammoth ivory bead, champagne diamond and 18k recycled white gold necklaces (right)
Reader Comments (29)
Thanks Mrs. T! Great jewelry and great awareness of our environment and our native people.
Thanks Mrs.T. i hope other designer follow her lead.What a great message she is sending.
Mrs.T, here is a link postes by "Claire" about Mrs.O white Jacket. i think its the same jacket only the collar has been modified.what do you think?
http://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod53460011&parentId=cat299813&masterId=cat299801&index=0&cmCat=cat000000cat000002cat000010cat299800cat299801cat299813
Hey chrystelle, I did check it out. It's a tough call. There's definitely similarity. But it didn't look to me that the inset panels on Mrs. O's jacket were ruched. I will inquire regardless and report back.
This stuff is amazzzzzinnnnng! Thank you for the insight Mrs. T. Sooo eco-concious and socially aware -- just a lovely match for our First Lady.
Sadly I don't think the Obamas will be going to Poland for the Polish president's funeral. Too many airports are shut because of the volcanic ash from Iceland.
When I think of the air miles this energetic First Couple travels it blows my mind!
I found more Monique Pean jewelry here! http://www.osterjewelers.com
Mrs. O also wore a diamond rose broach by Garavelli this past holiday. I see Oster Jewelers also sells Garavelli.! It's one stop shopping at this address.
Thanks Mrs. T for the information. The necklace held my attention and I did mention it in my comment on the pant suit while wondering who was the designer. I have an obsession with accessories.
I would be surprised if it is Fendi, I don't think Mrs O goes for the typical expensive designers (Fendi, Versace, Vuitton).
The details in that link and her suit jacket ARE rather similar though.
Eco friendly jewellry ? Excellent choice for the first lady. I LOVED the stack of bracelets that she wore with the Tracy Reese dress and I will definitely be adding a similar set to my summer wardrobe.
Marcelle, like yourself, I love accessories and fasion jewellry.
Beautiful pieces, just beautiful!!! Hey Chrystelle, the Fendi jacket looks close enough, but I suspect this could be any other designer: Margiela, Rick Owens or even Donna Karan.
They've all done similar stuff to this but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.
Mrs Obama was absolutely spectacular in Mexico!!! A First class First Lady through and through!!!
I'm wondering how "woolly mammoth ivory" can be eco-friendly.
There is obviously a very limited supply; I would be surprised
to learn that museums and research institutions would release it. Like elephant ivory, isn't its' sale restricted, if not banned?
The necklace, while really great, was definitely not the one she wore with the white pantsuit. That necklace was pearls and crystals. When did she wear the Monica Pean necklace?
I think it's great that Monique Pean is recycling nature's beauty into wearable art, but the prices are stratospheric!
Very nice. Too bad I can't afford it. Maybe one day...
Smitty
Ms T thank you so much for the info on that jewellery. Imagine wearing 25,000 year old mammoth tusk?! Extraordinary. It felt really weird to be reading about mammoth tusk as a part of jewellery that's eco-friendly. My brain was going "Ok" and my heart was going "NOOOOO", but I guess we can hardly claim it was hunted to extinction for ivory, LOL! Funny how things turn about. The pieces are not my style but they are beautifully styled and made.
@Deborah, the first lady wore the Monique Pean necklace with her white pantsuit on her last day in Mexico City. This information came via Monique Pean's press representative and is fully visible in photos. Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Okay, Mrs. T, but first thing that last day in Mexico City, when we shook hands with her in the receiving line at the embassy, the necklace had crystal, sparkly beads with the pearls. Perhaps the illustrations don't show that the neclace sparkles as much as it does in person. I can't download from my camera into this computer!
Hi Deborah, If you're able to send me a photo that shows the necklace you saw, that would be great! You can always reach me at contact@mrs-o.org. From photos I've seen, I do believe Mrs. O wore the Monique Pean necklace at some point during the day.
Nightowl: I was wondering the same thing, and would like to find a definitive answer.
An article on the jewelry...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/20/michelle-obamas-mexico-br_n_544301.html
Mrs.T,
Here's an interview with Michelle that gives a good insight into her thinking AND a fairly good look at the necklace. She looks G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S as usual.
I hope I did it right.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp=36618515�
Woolly mammoth is eco-friendly because it went extinct over 12,000 year ago and it is fossilized. I applaud Monique Pean for using reclaimed materials and recycled gold! Woolly mammoth is a found material like finding a shell on the beach, you can't search for it and there is no harm done to the environment by picking it up on the shores of the Arctic! It's also cool that Monique Péan works with local artisans! I found some MONIQUE PEAN jewelry here:
http://www.barneys.com/Jewelry/JEWEL01,default,sc.html?prefn1=designer&prefv1=Monique%20Pean
http://www.twistonline.com/moniquep%C3%A9an?Mfr=125&CategoryID=0&ArtistCategory=0
The scrimshaw pieces are cool as well!
Thanks for introducing her work to us Mrs. T!!!
ann#1 and trinisamba, enjoyed the info. thanks.
Really? Are some of you going to take this angle. This preposterous idea that Mrs. O's woolly mammoth ivory pieces are insensitive. At this point I should not be amazed that every avenue to run down Michelle is explored. But I am always left wondering the motive.
Pictures are posted from the event in DC this afternoon with Olympic champion Shani Davis. Mrs. O is wearing a very raspberry-rose looking suit with a cute top that has either sequins or different colored dots.....
Erica: Thanks so much for the info!
McKinley: NO ONE said Mrs. O's jewelry was insensitive. You need to dial it down a notch.
I think these are the same earrings she wore when she was wearing the blue and white dress.
http://www.osterjewelers.com/shop/p_jewelry_Monique_Pean_9300.php
Here's more info on Monique Pean and more pictures of Mrs. O
http://www.osterjewelers.com/jewelry/news
I think the pieces are lovely -- that the designer donates part of the proceeds and is socially conscious is wonderful -- a great example. But the jewelry shown is made out of ivory -- what about the animals that were impacted to make these pieces? In many parts of the world selling ivory is against the law -- and reflects animal cruelty.
Barbara,
The ivory that Monique uses is pre-historic Mammoth Ivory. These animals have been extinct for 12,000 years. The ivory is collected in the spring during the thaw cycle when the ground is soft. Most of it is collected by native eskimo's in and around polar regions. No animals are harmed, they are long gone already.
Scot
www.carolinacustomscrimshaw.com