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SMARTIES — Handmade Tagua Earrings

A little circle of happiness for your ears — Smarties bring fun, charm and a lovely finished feeling to everyday outfits.

Regular price £30.00
Regular price Sale price £30.00
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Details

  • Made of tagua nut - 100% natural, vegan and sustainable
  • Handmade in Ecuador by Indigenous artisans
  • Hypoallergenic, nickel and lead free hooks
  • Dyed using colourfast specialist dyes made for natural materials such as tagua, wool and linen. Sun-dried and tumbled to bring out the tagua's natural shine.
  • Approx 4.5cms long from top of earring hook
  • Colours and shapes may vary slightly from the photo. That's the beauty of handmade, natural pieces!

Need Silver Hooks or Clip-ons?

All the earrings include hypoallergenic hook wires.

If you prefer Sterling Silver 925 you can click here to add them to the basket and I'll professionally modify your earrings to Sterling Silver 925.

Need clip-on earrings? No problem! These earrings can be converted to clip-ons by clicking here to add to the basket and I'll do the rest.

Made from a wonder of nature

Tagua (pronounced ‘TAG-wah’) is the seed of the tagua palm native to Ecuador.

Often referred to as "vegetable ivory," it resembles elephant ivory but is entirely plant-based. As an ivory substitute, the tagua nut can truly be called an elephant’s friend!

Does tagua have special properties?

Our experience is that many give an audible gasp when they first hold a tagua nut! Touching tagua is unlike anything you’ve ever touched before!

Tagua has a smooth, soothing tactile feel that is calming and stress relieving. The touch of tagua comforts the senses.

Just as being in nature gives us a sense of calm and well-being, tagua does just the same! What an incredible material!

Gifting made easy

At checkout simply add your giftee’s address and any personal note and we’ll do the rest!

The gift comes beautifully wrapped and includes an information leaflet that not only tells the story of tagua, but also about our artisans who make the jewellery

Featured

PLANT BASED JEWELLERY HANDCRAFTED FROM VEGETABLE IVORY

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Meet The Founder

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”!

Meet The Artisans

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!

Find Out More

Frequently Asked Questions

Who makes the jewellery & how?

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.

How sustainable is tagua?

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.

 How durable is it?

Tagua jewellery is very durable. Crafted from a naturally hard material tagua jewellery can be worn every day while maintaining its beauty.

Is it heavy to wear?

No - tagua jewellery is ultra lightweight. This is one of the unique benefits of tagua that our customers comment on.

Can those with nut allergies wear tagua nut jewellery?

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.

Can you eat tagua?

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.

Can I send a gift directly?

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.

  • 5 stars: 32 (100%)
  • 4 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 3 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
K
Keith B.K.F.B.

Very good

P
Pam H.

These earrings are my third purchase and I love telling people about The Happy Elephant story. It is so interesting. Thankyou

Hi Pam, thank you you so much for your continuing support and the lovely review. So glad you love sharing the amazing tagua story. Do you know about it's connection to Gin & Tonic? Please take a look at the Blog section of our website. The story is fascinating!

s
sarah b.

Beautiful earrings they are a present, I’m sure my sister will love them.

Please let us know what she thinks!

C
Carol

Lovely colours and so lightweight to wear!

Thank you Carol for a lovely endorsement.

C
Caroline S.

I bought these as a birthday gift which was enthusiastically received.

Hi Caroline, thank you so much for sharing how much your giftee loved her tagua earrings!

J
Jo

Lovely earings to match my necklace. Very light and easy to wear.

We're so glad you love the earrings and that they match your necklace perfectly. Thanks for your lovely review!

R
Rosemary J.

Pleased with them actually wearing them Right now.
Thank you.

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing how delighted you are with your purchasde Rosemary.

J
Jeannie P.

Love my new blue ear rings gs - great shape, weight and colour. With so many to choose from, I might just have to have a few more!

An excellent idea Jeannie!!

P
Penelope L.

Very pretty earrings in fuchsia

S
Sarah

Love these earrings , i boughg them to match a bracelet i had previously purchased. Beautiful colour and so smooth

A
Anna B.

Lovely earrings- a present for someone. They are very light so I imagine they will be easy to wear. Beautiful colour. Very happy!

Hi Anna, thank you so much for your lovely review! I'm thrilled to hear you love the earrings and that they'll make a special gift. We appreciate your support!

N
Nuala L.

These earrings are lovely. A nice size and nice and light. I will be buying more in different colours 😊

Hi Nuala! We're so happy you love the earrings and as regards buying more that is what I call a really good idea! Seriously though thank you for taking the time to share your review.

C
Catriona F.

Earrings are a perfect match and size for my necklace.

Hi Catriona, we're so glad the earrings match your necklace perfectly! Thanks for sharing your lovely feedback.

C
Catriona F.

Perfect size and match my necklace exactly.

R
Rowena J.
Absolutely beautiful very tactile and great

Absolutely beautiful very tactile and great cause

Hi Rowena, thank you so much for your lovely review! We're thrilled you love the earrings and appreciate your support. 😊

A
Anonymous
Lovely! I will be ordering more

Lovely! I will be ordering more.

A
Anonymous
Unbelievably light earrings

Unbelievably light earrings. All the appearance of substantial earrings with none of the weight. Lovely bright colour too,

What a lovely review - thank you. So true, the Smarties earrings have presence but so lightweight!

M
Miss

Absolutely gorgeous. Perfect match to the jacket I'm making!!!!

A
Anonymous
Gorgeous earrings!

Gorgeous earrings! I love the feel and look of the tagua bean, and enjoy wearing the jewellery so much.

P
Penelope L.
Lovely

Lovely shade of green. I look forward to wearing them

M
Melissa S.
Love these!

Love these earrings. They are so light and comfortable to wear and such a pure colour. I know I shall be buying so much more from here - I just can’t decide on the colour as there are so many beautiful shades to choose from. Excellent customer service too!

M
Mairwen H.
Absolutely lovely

Absolutely lovely. Very tactile. Colour is beautiful. Thank you 😊

A
Anonymous
Love them

Love them. They’ll have lots of wear especially with that colour as it’s coming up to Christmas!

So glad you love them! They are so tactile aren't they? Enjoy!

L
Louise S.
Fab earrings!

Beautiful earrings and what a lovely colour the orange is.
The finish is very polished but there are also some interesting swirls in the grain- very subtle.
I will definitely be buying more.

Thanks so much for your lovely review! They are really beautiful pieces the Smarties Earrings - the swirl patterns you commented on are actually formed from when the tagua nut starts as a liquid, hardens to a jelly, and then when the jelly hardens it forms swirl patterns that the dyes then pick up! So each one is unique, like a fingerprint - isn't it incredible!

A
Anonymous
Lovely items

Lovely items, go well with green chica green necklace. I am off to buy something in orange.

A
Anonymous
Lovely colour and shape

Lovely colour and shape. Comfortable to wear. Thank you

F
Fay
Fantastic earrings

Fantastic earrings and such a great colour

c
c.k.

Beautiful stylish colourful earings
I absolutely love them
The care thats gone into making them show in design & richness of the earing
I will definitely be ordering more from them
Would recommend