Box Jelly and Tassel Jelly Necklaces
So many people love jellies, and with good reason! One of the more mesmerizing sights underwater is the undulating pulse of a jellyfish, more accurately referred to as a “jelly”. They are beautiful and fanciful, and are the inspiration behind everything from stuffed animals to cartoons.
Box Jellies are arguably most infamous for their painful, and sometimes fatal sting. Rough water swimmers, divers, and surfers alike try to steer clear of the nearly invisible pelagic critters. Their toxin has even been featured in movies and crime dramas; these are not jellies to be trifled with! Here on O’ahu (in Hawaii) we have an alien species called Carybdea alata – neither the largest nor the most toxic, but still quite dangerous and painful. They started to arrive on O’ahu a few decades ago for some reason, and we are unique in that this is the only place (reportedly) that box jellies arrive near shore in such a predictable fashion – 8-12 days after the full moon, like clockwork. Corals spawn according to the lunar cycle, but nowhere else do jellies move with such predictability.
Some months we see only a few, but other months Oahu’s coastline are inundated with thousands of these transparent predators. Tourists beware! The locals usually check and steer clear.
In the shop we have both large and small Box Jelly chokers and bracelets, as well as a more whimsical tassel jelly version that comes on a long chain. All are hand carved, cast from low tarnish sterling silver, and hand polished/finished. The tassel jelly receives further attention with each chain ‘leg’ cut from chain by hand and soldered or wire-wrapped with gemstones. Let us know if you need a different length chain or cord, we’re always happy to get you your perfect fit!
How to wear
Despite the black leather, these necklaces are really easy to wear. The sinuous lines lend themselves to flowing tops and dresses, the black leather provides a lovely contrast to feminine outfits. Just as easily pair them with black leather, white t-shirts and jeans! More so than with most pieces, its all in how you choose to style this unusual necklace. Different size people like the small or large, again depending on the look you seek (subtle? big and bold? statement?). Wear one solo or as a pair – face them the same way or have them head to head! Our customers seem fairly evenly split on their preferences.
About Jellies
Jellies are Cnidarians, closely related to corals and anemones, and can be wildly colorful to completely transparent. There are jellies with no stingers at all, to those with deadly toxins such as the infamous Irukandji. Jellies have been around for at least least 500 million years, and possibly 700 million years+, making them the oldest multi-organ animal.
As a sub group, there is much to respect about box jellies in particular. Most jellies can be considered relatively low down the evolutionary chain. They serentipitously bump into their prey as they float along in the sea. But box jellies are quite different. With 20 simple eyes and 4 fully functioning eyes (with retinas!), they also have a rare ability to swim directionally, in other words, they actively hunt their prey. The neurotoxin they employ is not as painful nor as deadly as Australia’s infamous Irukandji, but it can still do quite a bit of damage, even to an adult.