Exclusive: Tiffany & Co. Commits $1 Million To Saving Elephants

Now in its sixth year, World Elephant Day was established to bring awareness to the issues threatening to elephants into extinction. Or, as its cofounder Patricia Sims puts it: “World Elephant Day is a rallying call for people to support organizations that are working to stop the illegal poaching and trade of elephant ivory and other wildlife products, protect wild elephant habitat, and provide sanctuaries and alternative habitats for domestic elephants to live freely.

Now. the movement has a major cosign: Tiffany & Co. has partnered up with model Doutzen Kroes on its Save the Wild collection (which includes a Jean Schlumberger-designed elephant brooch) — the jewelry brand’s first time releasing pieces solely for a cause — which will send 100% of proceeds to the Elephant Crisis Fund. Tiffany has committed at least $1 million of the jewelry's sales to the cause, which is not surprising given its stance on social responsibility and dedication to environmental sustainability.

“In the face of political uncertainty, those of us in the business community have a responsibility to keep moving forward,” Anisa Costa, chief sustainability officer and president of the Tiffany & Co. Foundation, tells Refinery29. “From taking bold action on climate change to supporting organizations working to protect biodiversity and precious land and seascapes, Tiffany will continue to use the full power of its brand to bring attention to these critical issues.”

Tiffany & Co. knows that its customers demand more from the brand, and it wants to rise to the occasion. “Socially conscious consumers are demanding higher levels of sustainability and activism from companies today," Costa adds, "and the Save the Wild collection is an exciting opportunity for us to both increase awareness and financially support an issue we care deeply about."

The partnership was a natural fit for Kroes, a longtime Tiffany & Co. collaborator whose mission is to raise awareness for the illegal poaching of elephants. “I always loved to see elephants when I was a little girl watching nature documentaries on television in Holland, but it wasn’t until I traveled to Samburu the research center of Save the Elephants and saw them up close and actually touched them that I truly fell in love with them,” she says. “Despite their size and strength, they are incredible gentle creatures, with their own personalities and family structures similar to ours, so when I first saw them in person, I actually met them…and that made advocating for their protection and care so personal.”

Ahead, see (and shop!) the collection (remember: It goes to a good cause). Whether it's ending the ivory crisis or another pursuit close to your heart, as Costa put it: “Your advocacy matters. We all have a role to play in protecting our planet and its irreplaceable creatures. No action is too small."