From delicacy to design statement

Monday 26 August 2019

A staple of Jersey's culinary heritage, ormers are most commonly found in a stew... But one designer has imagined a new fate for the traditional delicacy.

Alex Broad has drawn up a series of art deco jewellery designs incorporating the mother of pearl lining from inside an ormer shell as part of a new collection for Jersey Pearl.

The local jewellery company says it’s taken them three years’ work to "adapt the incredibly thin and fragile ormer shell to jewellery".

While a challenging task, they hope their efforts will help capture the "spirit of the island" associated with the iconic shellfish.

Pictured: Designer Alex Broad, who drew up art deco-style designs for the jewellery.

Traditionally, ormers - the local name for what is known worldwide as abalones – have been considered somewhat of a delicacy and can be fried, stewed or pickled. In the past, the shell lining has also been incorporated into furniture and musical instruments.

At one time, it was so over-fished in Guernsey stocks almost reached unsustainable levels. 

In Jersey, there is no commercial fishing for ormers - they can only be caught at low water by recreational fisherman, who are bound by a series of strict conservation rules to ensure the survival of the species.

Ormering season lasts from 1 October until 30 April, and can only take place on the first day of each new or full moon, and three following days. Scuba diving for ormers is not allowed, and the ormers collected must be a minimum of 9cm. There is also bag limit of 20 ormers per day per person.

Pictured: Ormering is a traditional Jersey pasttime, which Trevor Le Cornu is continuing.

To collect the protected mollusc, Jersey Pearl worked with Trevor Le Cornu, who comes from a long line of 'ormerers'.

He was just five years old when he first went ormering with his father, and fondly recalls how they'd later be served up with Jersey butter, potatoes and green beans.

These days, Jersey Pearl's ormerer-in-chief collects at Le Hocq - a sustainable practice that can take hours, and involve much walking, sometimes with little reward. However, he says he is dedicated to securing the future of what is regarded by many people, along with the Jersey cow, as the island’s symbol. 

Its this sustainability that Jersey Pearl said it valued in its work with the seasoned collector. As part of this 'green' commitment, all of the collection's packaging is also carbon neutral.

Pictured: The finished work aims to capture the "spirit of the island".

Once collected, the shells were then carefully set in rhodium plated or rose gold plated sterling silver and 9kt gold.

According to Jersey Pearl, "each piece is an exquisite link to the past as we celebrate the present."