By Ashley Shaw
Photography by Reese Moore, Jenna Marie, and Merriwillow Photography
In a 1969 blue-and-white pickup truck named Big Pearl, a pile of oyster shells makes its way to Rachel Gordon’s studio and boutique, Grit & Grace, for a grand transformation. “We pick out the ones we think are pretty, and for every oyster shell that we sell, we recycle 10 to 15 shells,” says Rachel, who, along with her talented team of fellow artisans, fashions the discarded shells they collect from local restaurants into hand-painted jewelry and decorative baubles.
