Handcrafted Dune Jewelry Made from Beach Sand

By Ginger Harris

Footprints in the sand eventually wash away. To keep the memories of your beach vacation alive, hit the web and head to DuneJewelry.com right after your trip.

The company, which has a sand database of more than 1,600 beaches that span seven continents, creates necklaces, rings, bracelets, key chains and charms with beach sand from your getaway, so your trip is always close at hand.

Of the extensive beach catalogue, dubbed the Sandbank, more than 130 of Florida’s sandy shores are included. Find Destin, Sugarloaf Key and Redfish Pass in the mix.

You can also send in your own beach sand, should your beach not be listed. Find the complete list here.

Each of the pieces is handmade, original and ranges anywhere from $40 to $350. Dune Jewelry also has a men’s line, which consists of key chains, cuff links, rings, necklaces and bracelets, making the memory of a great trip a perfect gift for any and everyone, especially couples who recently wed at one of Florida's beautiful beaches.

Pieces contain about a soda cap’s worth of sand, which is put together at the brand’s Boston studio by Sandartists. The beach sand jewelry is then created in one of two ways: layering the sand and resin to form a domed glass-like finish or hand-sanded into solder for a flat finish before the piece is polished. Each item comes with a card that indicates the origin of the sand. My personal favorite ways to wear your beach are the Sandrop Collection.

Says Dune Jewelry owner and creator of beach sand jewelry Holly Daniels Christensen, “People have such a strong emotional attachment to specific beaches, and jewelry is a great way to keep those memories alive and with you at all times.”

Christensen, a self-taught jewelry designer, grew up on the beaches of Massachusetts and understands the connection vacationers have with the shore. “We don’t just sell jewelry, we preserve cherished moments, we sell memories that people will keep with them for a lifetime,” she says. 

Yes, the vacation has ended and while you may no longer have the sand between your toes, at least you have the memory of it in a wearable memento.