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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 to buy his family their very first washing machine!
The necklace and earrings arrived, beautifully packaged and presented quickly and without any damage. I am going on a cruise and have a couple of green dresses and because there are so many shades of green in the necklace, it can coordinate with any shade of green. It’s much lighter than you think it is too. So easy to wear.
Absolutely love it. Bought for a wedding next week. Looking forward to wearing it.
Beautiful bracelet in multiple shades of green, in an unusual shape which really sets it apart. Love it! Good fit too, stays in place!
Bought for a friend. Fantastic customer service. Will be back! Victoria, Isle of Wight.
Love these necklaces.
What a find, Alison and Mark are wonderful - orders are packed beautifully, despatched promptly and Alison’s enclosed note always makes it very personal, lovely touch. So many lovely designs and colours I can’t resist buying and make lovelyChristmas presents
Another pair of lovely earrings, the colour and design exquisite, love them
Beautiful necklace, love the colours and can be worn with many different outfits
Lovely company to deal with. Items are well packaged and delivery is prompt. Jewellery is of great quality and well made.
Loved my necklace so much I bought one for my best friend for her birthday. Lightweight, beautiful to touch and hold. Much complimented.
Ooh ooh ooh - I just had to have it! Gorgeous rich oranges - my new favourite. Thank you!!
Great website, kept up to date with status of order. Arrived quickly and was in a beautiful little bag and tissue paper to wrap if needed
I ordered this necklace for a friend - when it arrived I was so pleased with my choice. I love the back story of this company and I will certainly be using this company again. If you are looking for something different - I recommend you take a look at their website. A very happy customer
Efficient and excellent updates re despatch (but not TOO many!)
Well made and striking earrings. Excellent quality.
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.
