A fashion statement becomes a political statement when spent bullet casings are turned into jewelry. Bullets are generally symbols of chaos and destruction, but a couple of designers are using these tokens of war to inspire beauty and creativity.

Bullets 4 Peace began when designer Rafi Anteby's close childhood friend was killed in a hail of gunfire. Each necklace recycles a real bullet casing decorated with pewter and silver casts. Some include crystals or even LED lights. Peace signs, dolphins, microphones, and crosses are among the nearly 100 different styles available. Each year, Bullets 4 Peace chooses a dozen different charities, assigns a different style to each charity, and donates a portion of the sales of those designs. Among the current charities being supported are Safe Passage, which aids abused women and their children; the Yungchen Lhamo for Tibet Foundation; Success for Kids, which empowers at-risk children and teens; and Madonna's Raising Malawi charity.

Lovetta Conto is only seventeen years old, but she is already working to assist those in need in her native Liberia. As a young girl, war broke out in her country, and Lovetta and her father fled to a refugee camp in Ghana. She was granted a Strongheart Fellowship, a program that required Lovetta to start a project that would help both her and the world. Her project was the Akawelle necklace. Each pendant is made from a spent bullet casing collected from the streets of Liberia. Part of the bullet is melted down to form the leaf charm, and the base of the bullet is left whole, as a reminder of what it once was. Each necklace is handmade, with 100% of the profits going to the Strongheart House, a non-profit that helps orphans and displaced children in Liberia by providing opportunities for education and healing in a safe, nurturing home.

Turning weapons into wearable art is a creative way to promote peace, made even better in these cases because the proceeds go to charity. This jewelry is number one with a bullet--and it's Character Approved.

[Images: Bullets4Peace.com, StrongheartFellowship.org]