Why we don't use shells found on a beach in Bali for jewelry anymore?

We all know this feeling: walking on a beach and seeing a beautiful shell... Ah... How pretty it is! I want to take it home! Or create a piece of jewelry with it! 

Living close to the ocean teaches us something different: shells which you find on the beach aren't just pretty souvenirs - they’re actually doing a lot of work for the marine ecosystem. Here are few reasons, why we decided not to use any shells from Bali beaches in our jewelry.

Shells provide houses and shelter - empty shells become tiny apartments. Hermit crabs move right in, and they are picky tenants. They need portable, strong shells with the right opening size and shape. and small critters like worms, baby snails, or brittle stars hide inside. Coral larvae and oysters will also settle and grow on old shell fragments, helping build reef-like structure over time.   

Broken shells contain calcium carbonate and as they break down into sand and grit, that calcium gets recycled back into the water and sediment. That’s the same material new shellfish, corals, and plankton need to build their own shells and skeletons. 

Whole shells and shell hash mix into beach sand. That coarser material helps stabilize shorelines, reduces erosion, and gives nesting sea turtles and shorebirds firmer ground. Shell beds can also buffer waves a bit before they hit the coast.

Broken shell fragments host microalgae and bacteria. Those microbes feed tiny invertebrates, which then feed fish and shorebirds. So shells are a base-level food/habitat link.

As shells slowly dissolve, they help buffer acidity in seawater and sediments. That’s important because more stable pH makes it easier for other calcifying organisms to survive.

So next time you see a pile of shells in Bali, think of them as recycled housing, mineral stores, and coastal armor all in one!