Singaporean jewellery line doubles as mosquito repellent
In Chinese culture, the green gemstone jade is commonly used to ward off evil spirits. With a "Yu Ahn" bracelet, you can ward off a different kind of evil -- mosquitos.
Singapore jewellery brand, By Invite Only, released a new line of jade-inspired accessories that it claims will actually help repel mosquitoes.
The Yu Ahn collection consists of a bracelet and two necklaces featuring pendants that hold refillable citronella balls, that can last up to seven days.
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Citronella oil is a safe and non-toxic essential oil that is found in mosquito repellents. It is also known to be effective against the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads dengue fever and carries the Zika virus.
By Invite Only founder Trixie Khong told Mashable: "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 jewellery designer, we decided to combine the concept of safety with fashion.”
Launched at the end of July, By Invite Only's site shows that it has sold out of the bracelet and one of the necklaces. Prices for the jewellery range between S$48 ($35) to S$65 ($48) and the refill costs $4.90 ($3.60).
To modernise the pieces, the pendants are paired with Burmese jade and beaded charms strung along Rhodium-plated chains.
The release of the line is timely, as Singapore is facing a Zika virus outbreak. On Thursday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) confirmed 31 new cases, bringing the total of Zika virus cases to 151, two of them being pregnant women.
NEA is stepping up on its measures to control the situation with inspections, carrying out tests on residents living in hot zones or who have previously shown symptoms of fever or rash.
As the number of confirmed Zika cases climb, concerned Singaporeans are stocking up on mosquito repellents to prevent getting bitten. According to Channel News Asia, sales of mosquito repellents have spiked across the country with pharmacies and stores running out of stock.
