NAHANT — A lifelong conservationist and beach-lover, Nahant’s Michael Coller is selling handmade jewelry to raise money for local conservation efforts.
Born and raised in Saugus, Coller has spent most of his life on the North Shore. Having grown up alongside the water, he said he was especially drawn to the ocean early on, working in the commercial fishing industry from ages 17 to 24 as a way to pay for his management degree at Bridgewater State University.
As an adult, following a short stint living in New Jersey, then Peabody, then Saugus again (where he was appointed to the town’s Conservation Commission), Coller finally made the move to Nahant — a place he said he’s always loved for its serene beaches.
“My dedication and love for the environment just kicked in again — the seashore, the waterways, the estuaries. That was a big part of why I wanted to give back to the community and to nature,” he said.
Shortly after moving to his new town five months ago, Coller began spending time at Canoe Beach, where he started collecting seashells and other small treasures he came across.
“I kind of fell in love with (Canoe Beach). If you’ve been there, it’s just an illustrious, eye-catching beach,” he said. “I’ve been to probably every beach in the Carribean, including the Sea of Cortez, and I just shake my head going, ‘why did I go to those beaches? I’ve got some of the most beautiful beaches right down the street from my house.’
“It’s the scenic piece of the cove that’s there, the pristine waters. I find myself just enamored by the seashells and the shapes and sizes and colors.”
Coller joked it sometimes takes him upwards of 40 minutes to make his way from his beach chair to the shore because he’s frequently distracted by shells and rocks that catch his eye during the short walk to the water.
He later added it was his fast-growing collection of beach finds that ultimately led him to try jewelry-making, figuring the pieces would not only raise money for the North Shore’s many conservation areas, but also serve as tributes to Nahant and its stunning beaches.
“Looking at the beauty of the shells and the rocks, I was like, ‘what am I going to do with this?’ How can I give back to the community?'” He said.
With the guidance of longtime acquaintance and Sassoun Jewelry owner Arthur Hovsepian, Coller went to work putting together bracelets, necklaces, rings, and earrings by matching up his favorite shells to make different designs.
Because Coller is licensed by the Massachusetts State Police as a private investigator specializing in criminal matters, many of the pieces also include a pendant of Archangel Michael, the patron saint of law enforcement, as a nod to his career working with law enforcement.
Although he isn’t quite ready to start selling yet, Coller said he plans to finalize his first line of 40 or so pieces within the coming weeks.
“To me, it’s feel-good jewelry,” he said. “With everything that’s going on today, all the troublesome stuff, if I can make something that people enjoy, it might make the (world) a better place to live.”
Inquiries about Coller’s jewelry can be made before the line’s launch by contacting him at (978) 375-9651, or emailing him at [email protected].
