You know that feeling when someone asks about a piece of jewellery and you actually have a story worth telling? Say hello to Anabel.
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Hi! I’m Alison and I often get asked how a ‘wee Scottish lass’ like me ended up living in Ecuador, starting a jewellery business with artisans in the Andes, and falling in love with one of the most of amazing natural wonders in the plant kingdom. It’s a crazy story but true! And I haven’t even told you yet how the jewellery helps save elephants and how I made my husband my business partner and we ended up as “The Happy Elephant”!
When living in Ecuador, we were fortunate enough to meet two of Ecuador’s finest tagua artisans, Cesar and his wife Teresa. For five years we have worked hand-in-hand with this talented Indigenous Quichua artisan family who bring to life beautiful handcrafted jewellery from nature.
What we love is the connections we have made over the years and how we have come to rely on one another. We felt so moved that our very first order with Cesar meant he was able buy his family their very first washing machine!
So pretty, it really is a breath of spring air! Beautiful and unassuming, I will wear this often, thank you!
My order was delivered timely
Beautiful earrings , light and easy to wear. I love them !
Super company to deal with. Items arrive promptly and are well packaged.
Nice comfy bracelet to wear. Lovely colour.
This is lovely! it's quite lightweight and very striking.
Quick efficient delivery with non-plastic packaging. Good communications and reward scheme. Items well displayed on website makes for easy shopping selection with confidence of quality.
This is a statement bracelet highlighting such lovely detail of the tagua nut. It is chunky but feels lightweight which makes it very comfortable to wear. Another great piece to add to my collection from The Happy 🐘.
My younger relatives love your jewellery
and now recognize your pieces
I love this jewellery and have almost every colour wave. Love the jewellery, the service and interaction is brilliant!
I haven’t received it as yet as my Birthday is not until Friday. But I cannot wait to wear it as I chose it. I will send a picture after Friday. Thank you. Tina
delighted with colour and quality
Prompt delivery and beautifully packaged.
Lovely necklace, so unusual and goes with so many colours. Love it,
It arrived well packaged and looks lovely. Can't wait to wear it soon
For over five years we have worked with Cesar, one of Ecuador’s finest Indigenous tagua artisans. He, his wife and his brothers carefully craft The Happy Elephant jewellery.
Tagua seeds are first dried in the sun for three months. They are then carved into pieces, tumbled to produce a high polish, and dyed using colourfast specialist dyes made for natural materials such as tagua, wool and linen.
Tagua is incredibly sustainable, offering multiple environmental benefits that make it a true eco-friendly material. When you choose tagua, you're supporting rainforest conservation, providing fair wages to local communities, and helping protect endangered elephants by offering a renewable alternative to ivory.
Tagua jewellery is very durable. Crafted from a naturally hard material tagua jewellery can be worn every day while maintaining its beauty.
No - tagua jewellery is ultra lightweight. This is one of the unique benefits of tagua that our customers comment on.
Yes! Tagua is actually a seed, not a nut, making it safe for those with nut allergies to wear. However, if you have severe allergies, it's always recommended to consult with your healthcare provider first.
Tagua begins as a sweet liquid that can be drunk, then sets into a jelly that’s edible, and finally hardens into a durable seed perfect for carving.
Yes of course! Just add your product, and at checkout add your giftee’s address in the shipping info, and any personal note you’d like to send and we’ll do the rest!
It comes beautifully gift wrapped and includes an information leaflet that not only tells the story of tagua, but also about our artisans who make the jewellery.
