|On a small Pacific island, an invasive shell removed from a reef can be shaped into a pendant by JinNam Hopotoa.
Peau Pendants is a Niue-based social enterprise Hopotoa founded to craft jewelry from invasive shells collected during reef management activities. Being the first of its kind in the world, the work uses shells from Drupella, marine snails whose populations can place tremendous pressure on coral reefs, leaving them bleached and may need to be removed in affected areas.
Peau Pendants received a 2026 Global Recognition Award for innovation, recognizing its use of materials already collected through reef-management work and its commitment to directing part of necklace sales toward marine protection. The recognition forms part of a larger account of local craft, ocean care, and the work required to bring a Niue-based product to customers abroad.
Photo Courtesy of Peau Pendants
From Reef Management to Handmade Design
For Hopotoa, the shell remains connected to the circumstances that brought it ashore. Drupella snails can damage coral when their numbers reach harmful levels, making removal necessary in some reef areas. Their shells retain the varied patterns and forms created by the marine environment.
Hopotoa shapes each pendant in Niue and retains each shell’s natural characteristics rather than using a standardized production process. The finished jewelry reflects its source material and the reef-management work that came before it.
“Peau Pendants was born from love for life in the ocean: if we have to remove something from the reef to help protect our corals, how can we give that material another purpose and allow it to continue protecting the ocean and give life back to it?” Hopotoa said.
Building a Business Around Place
As a world first, Peau Pendants has already reached customers in 18 countries while operating from a small Pacific island nation, where manufacturing capacity, commercial Infrastructure and access to distant markets can be limited. Its sales show that a locally made product can find customers abroad while remaining closely tied to its place of origin. The decision not to use mass production is part of that approach. A uniform process could make larger output easier, but it could also weaken the relationships among the shells, their conservation histories, and the reef environment from which they came. Hopotoa’s work depends on the differences in materials and the care required to make each pendant.
The business also directs a portion of every necklace sale to Niue Ocean Wide’s Ocean Conservation Commitments. Each commitment funds the protection of one square kilometer of Niue’s ocean for 20 years at NZD 250. The program supports conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable development through the Niue and Ocean Wide Trust. The Niue The Moana Mahu marine protected area covers 127,000 square kilometers (the largest MPA percentage per EEZ area in the world). Visit www.niueoceanwide.com to become a careholder.
A Continuing Connection to Niue’s Ocean
“The reason we decided to go with this method of contribution is that the NOW Trust and Ocean Conservation Commitment is the most robust conservation model and solution out there that we could identify. It’s not linear but rather has a holistic approach to conservation that is long-term,” Hopotoa said. “We want to help accelerate conservation action on the ground for our reefs, oceans, communities, culture, and future. Every pendant is unique, and Its glow represents hope, allowing the reefs to recover and be restored. It also represents unity in that we are not alone in this fight against climate change; day or night, each pendant reminds us of the positive change we are making for the reef and to keep it glowing into the future. Whether you’ve bought, were gifted, or are thinking of buying a peau pendant, join us and celebrate this success together for a glowing future for our oceans. We’re also looking to Connect with partners, funders, and organisations who share our vision of turning conservation challenges into scalable solutions.”
The arrangement gives customers a clear explanation of how part of a purchase is intended to support ocean protection. Peau Pendants connects its contribution to an existing conservation framework in Niue, linking reef management, culture and tradition, handmade work, sales, and funding for ocean commitments.
Hopotoa’s work keeps the shell’s history visible after it leaves the reef. Each pendant is unique and offers a tangible connection to Niue’s waters and to the ongoing effort to care for them not just for now but into the future.
