Andean Collection Review

I love eco-friendly jewelry & companies, don't you? Andean Collection is one of the sponsors in Christmas @ The Gift Closet & they sent me this gorgeous bracelet to review:This is their classic Tagua Bracelet. It retails for $24.00 and is a best selling item!

These tagua bracelets are strikingly beautiful, with a natural irregularity that makes each one truly unique. Available in a variety of shapes and vivid colors, they add flair to any outfit. Wear them alone or mix and match for an unforgettable look. I love that is an eco-friendly prodcut, natural, and so pretty to wear as well! They truly have an huge variety of colors to choose from as well!

Amanda Judge founded The Andean Collection in the fall of 2008 while she was in Ecuador researching rural women’s survival strategies in the face of extreme poverty for her master thesis. The point of her research was to settle on a few tangible projects that an outside agency could do in order to help the community make long lasting improvements in their own standards of living. As it turns out, instead of just writing about these possibilities, Amanda decided to put her own ideas into action.

After discovering the amazing natural materials that were used in native jewelry making, Amanda knew that finding a market for jewelry made out of these natural seeds would be more beneficial than any academic paper could ever be. Amanda then extended her stay in Ecuador to lay the groundwork for The Andean Collection. The first task was to find disadvantaged artisans who had a drive to create a better life for themselves and their families. Next was training the artisans on order production and of course, showing them how to use email. Since the beginning, The Andean Collection has been training the artisans is jewelry design, helping them fortify their supply chains, and let’s not forget the endless cross-continent goose chases to find the highest quality raw materials in South America.

Artisans handcraft their designs from natural seeds that have been sustainably harvested from the rainforests and lowlands of South America. The commercialization of these seeds helps to ensure the survival of the world’s rainforests by providing an alternative income for its inhabitants rather than logging or selling their land to destructive industries. Through a very manual process, seeds are transformed into beads with gorgeous natural irregularities, both in color and form, which truly makes each piece one of a kind.

Want It? Click here to visit Andean Collection.