December 12th, 2008 · No Comments

By John DeFore

Gifts made from recycled goods tend toward the hip and funky, but not all are incompatible with dressier occasions.

Ecoist, the company that has made a name for itself with reclaimed-material handbags ranging from happily garish to chic, recently started offering a small selection of jewelry, made from recycled glass, that displays a similar range of styles in only a handful of products.

While some of the pieces carry visible evidence of their consumer-product origins (like these earrings made from Aveda bottles), others bear little trace: A matched set of earrings and a necklace are more roughly shaped than you’d expect from most boutique goods, but in an appealing way.

The pieces are the work of Atlanta designer Kathleen Plate, whose own online store presents a wider array of recycled goods — not only jewelry but a rainbow of glass drawer pulls, Christmas tree ornaments and even a line of products made with the official cooperation of Coca-Cola.

Smart Glass jewelry by Plate is sold in 500 stores nationwide.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media