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Judging by Jill Platner’s tribal-inspired jewelry, it’s easy to imagine this Manhattan-based designer was an anthropologist in her past life. Easy, but not quite true: Platner’s a surfer and avid traveler in the Americas North and South. Her clean white loft space contrasts starkly with the hand-made, exotic necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, crafted in shapes that mimic the contours of the bones, shells, and plants she’s encountered in her adventures. Arranged beneath the boutique's large glass-topped display tables and hanging strategically along the walls, the mostly gold and silver designs coil and splay like the vines and tentacles the designer tries to capture; her stamped leather wrist cuffs evoke tough luxe with tremendous style. Despite the chunky, nature-friendly motifs, the clientele—and price tags—are decidedly high-brow. Nevertheless, these pieces are not made to simply lie in a box: Water-baby Platner’s work is durable enough to withstand the ocean's currents, though whether you’d want to take a salt-water gamble with her wearable art is up to you. — Molly Noonan