Anti Zika jewelry in Singapore

Jewelry brand, By Invite Only, has launched a range of jewelry with refillable citronella cartridges designed to protect the wearer against Zika carrying mosquitoes.

At the end of August, Singapore reported 41 new cases of the Zika virus. Amidst rumours that the country has developed its own strain of the virus, the National Environment Agency (NEA) is now increasingly monitoring residents of hot areas to check for further outbreaks. In response, residents are panic buying mosquito repellant and, according to Channel News Asia, sales have spiked across the country with many pharmacies and stores running out of stock completely. Offering a solution is Yu Ahn Collection, a new line of jewelry containing citronella and designed to protect its wearers from being bitten by mosquitoes.

Launched by jewelry brand, By Invite Only, the collection comprises a bracelet and two necklaces all of which have pendants which hold refillable citronella cartridges, or beads. Citronella is a non-toxic essential oil used in mosquito repellents. Crucially, it is said to be effective against the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads dengue fever and carries the Zika virus. The cartridges last up to 7 days and refills can be purchased for USD 4.90.

The semi-precious stone, jade, is the Chinese traditional symbol of protection against evil and bad luck. The Yu Ahn Collection offers a play on this concept: the citronella pendants are green and are paired with Burmese jade. Founder Trixie Khong explains the impulse behind the innovation, “We realised that people don’t want to bring around mosquito repellent all the time, even though mosquito-borne diseases are a problem in Singapore. So as a jewelry designer, we decided to combine the concept of safety with fashion.”

Recently, Springwise looked at this jewelry line for adults that doubles as a teething toy for toddlers to chew on and these decorative wearables. How else will we see traditionally luxury items updated to be increasingly functional?