Collection: Tropical Jewelry

The two flowers, and what they carry

Plumeria is the lei flower. In Hawaii it's the one you're handed on arrival, which is why it reads as welcome, arrival and new beginnings rather than as a generic blossom. It's also the flower that keeps blooming after it's been cut, which is a decent thing to wear on a hard week.

Orchid is the other register entirely — quiet luxury with a wild streak. Orchids are the largest flowering plant family on Earth and most of them grow on other things rather than in soil, which is either a metaphor or just a fact, depending on the kind of day you're having.

Ombré, and how it's made

Most pieces here are lab-grown hydro quartz in ombré jewel tones — two colours infused from opposite sides of the stone so the gradient meets in the middle. It's a deliberate treatment, not a natural occurrence, and it's what lets a single stone go from aqua to violet without a join.

A few of the same florals come in glass-bead versions, lighter and less expensive. Every listing states which it is. There is no naturally ombré quartz, and anyone selling you one is selling you this with a better story.

Ocean charms and how to wear the lot

Shells, waves and starfish sit alongside the florals here. They layer well with the flowers rather than competing — a plumeria pendant with a shorter shell chain is the combination that goes out most often. If you want the same ocean colour without the motif, Capri Blue is the shade on its own.

What you're buying

Lab-grown hydro quartz or faceted glass, set in gold or silver plate over a nickel-free base metal — named honestly on every listing, including where the honest name is less romantic. Not solid precious metal, and not priced as though it were.

These are made to be worn rather than babied, but plating still ages faster around sunscreen, chlorine and salt water — which is unfortunate given the theme. Take them off before the pool. Our jewelry cleaning guide covers plated settings and how to rinse them after a beach day.

Mystic Soul Jewelry — Canadian small business, Calgary, Alberta, since 2008.