Who is Herbie you ask? He’s our unique Salmon Cuff Bracelet made from recycled sterling silver and sand from Ketchikan, Alaska. And let me tell you, he’s stolen everyone’s heart! When we first decided to open our Dune Ketchikan store in Alaska, I was asked to create a few exclusive jewelry designs for the grand opening.

At the time I hadn’t been to Alaska for any length of time. I was unsure of what would resonate with lovers of The Last Frontier. One thing that I was sure of is that every outdoorsy friend of mine that I spoke with said that they dreamed of taking a trip to Alaska to fish for halibut and salmon. That got me thinking that a cuff bracelet reminiscent of the great outdoors could be fun and a great way to commemorate any Alaska adventure!

sterling silver fish bracelets

Creating our Salmon Cuff Bracelet

I began researching the aesthetic of salmon. I soon realized that they are not traditionally beautiful fish such as Mandarinfish and Butterflyfish. They are hearty, with silvery bodies and dark spots on their head, body, and fins. To me, the Alaskan Salmon looks textured and weathered with a distinct mouth that challenged my design skills.

sterling silver fish cuff

I’m being kind when I say that the first few sketches were rough. They were actually really, really bad. But as I continued to work through the design process I continued becoming more and more attached to the idea of making this untraditionally beautiful fish into a piece of art.

By the time our grand opening arrived on April 28th, 2022 I had turned my vision into a reality. We introduced our Salmon Cuff bracelet to the world. It has a satisfying texture crafted with certified recycled sterling silver and a tiny pinch of sand from Ketchikan Alaska inlaid in the eye. Immediately our team coined the bracelet “Herbie” and it stuck. “Where’s Herbie?” “Can I have a Herbie?” “Herbie is way cuter than I expected, I need him!”. The feedback I received could not have made me happier. So, here he is – our Herbie is now available on the Dune Jewelry website and he’s the perfect gift for yourself or your nature-loving friends and family. I hope you love him as much as we do.

And when you wear you’re your Herbie, make sure to tag #wheresherbie to show us where in the world his next adventure is.

Follow Dune Jewelry on Instagram and Facebook to tag your adventures with Herbie, the Salmon Cuff Bracelet.