The US start-up « Amara Gold » offers beautiful eco-friendly and sustainable jewelry from 100% recycled gold and silver, produced exclusively in the USA.
Amara’s mission is to offer consumers a unique brand message supported by timeless styling, and impeccable quality from sustainable sources - produced exclusively in the USA.
Amara’s collection of fine jewelry offers a perfect mix of classic, timeless pieces and some more fashionable designs.
Besides their own collection, Amara also collaborates with independent designers on Amara exclusives. For their debut they have picked award-winning designer Maria Canale. Some of her « Balance » designs are shown above.
As a next step they are rolling out expansions in gold rings especially wedding bands as well as more fashionable styles in necklaces, earrings and bracelets. So you should regularly check back to see what’s new.
Although they launched their collection as gold prices were rising substantially, 99% of their sales have occurred in jewelry that is 14K gold. Sounds like they have hit a nerve.
What we like about Amara is the personal touch they add here and there like « behind the scenes » features or the « ambassador program », where potential customers have a voice in the evolution of the brand strategy.
Amara is another start-up, which proves that you can have it all. Thus, another perfect match for our selection of stylish yet eco-friendly gift ideas.
But, go and see for yourself. Enjoy!
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The beautiful EKOBO home accessories shown above make a great eco-friendly gift and brighten up every home.
We immediately fell for EKOBO when we first discovered it at Platane, a great lifestyle concept store run by a French expat in Shanghai, China as the great design immediately caught our eye. As we are always eager to learn more on the brand’s story we were even more impressed as it turned out that French-Vietnamese label EKOBO’s products not only look good, but do good, too!
Owner Bruno Louis summarizes Ekobo’s mission as: «100% ecological, 200% design».
At EKOBO they use bamboo as they identified it as the almost perfect material in terms of the environment and sustainable development. They even refer to as «the wonder grass» since it grows rapidly and can be harvested continuously without killing the plant.
Although EKOBO is based in France, Bruno and his wife Boo, one of EKOBO’s designers, they work closely with several communities in Vietnam in order to produce their line of beautiful handcrafted home accessories from bamboo.
While the creative people at the French headquarter come up with the design ideas, the Vietnamese bamboo artisans handcraft the EKOBO products using traditional techniques. This cooperation provides work for Vietnamese craftsmen at a salary level well above local market level. Further, it also shares innovative and modern applications of bamboo with them to give more value to their bamboo crafting skills in today’s marketplace. Currently, EKOBO employs already more than 300 bamboo artisans, which in turn helps to protect the future of this traditional craft.
What we like about the awesome EKOBO products: the contemporary yet classic design, the great colors you can choose from, the ecological material bamboo and the charitable aspects of providing work to artisans in Vietnam.
But go and see for yourself. Enjoy!
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© Luckyou
The Swiss company RepaperART does the awesome LUCKYOU paper jewelry shown above, which is handmade in South Africa and Switzerland.
We like LUCKYOU because it is truly unique and each piece makes a great eco friendly fashion statement. Isn’t it fascinating that the necklaces are made of recycled fashion magazines and that the cute hand-knitted bangles are made of paper wool? Amazingly innovative!
But our fascination with Luckyou's jewelry art goes beyond the eco friendly materials used and the skills applied. We also appreciate the socially responsible nature as Luckyou provides work to women in a South African township. Don't you think that Luckyou paper jewelry makes a great eco friendly gift?
But go and see for yourself.
Enjoy!
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© Hambone Designs
Because more and more people want to go green and cycle to work, we believe that the lovely bike pouches shown above make a great eco friendly gift.
Lisa Marie Grillos and her brother Hernan Barangan design the original Hambone Designs' bags that fit the top tube of your bicycle.
It all started with a family holiday tradition of handmade gifts only. Hernan came up with the VeloPocket design, which were a big success. Years later Lisa Marie decided to make her passion for the environment and cycling her business by selling handmade bike pouches according to Hernan's design. The rest is history.
The slim Hambone Design bike pouches come in two sizes and various fabrics or leather. They don't get in your way while paddling but store your essentials securely away. The bigger size even fits a U-lock. Don't you think they would make a nice eco friendly gift?
But go and see for yourself. Enjoy!
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© Bagnesia
BAG-NE-SIA reminder kits are a fun eco friendly gift idea for someone who wants to go green.
Bagnesia owners and long time friends Pam Eatrides and Caprice Ericson had the great idea for their green start-up on a shopping trip together.
Pam whose 2008 new year’s resolution had been to use reusable bags instead of plastic bags realized once more that she suffers from what they call «bag-ne-sia, a person's forgetfulness to grab their reusable bags ».
While discussing the benefit of a steering wheel reminder Pam and Caprice suddenly realized a need for various sorts of reminders to put an end to their bag-ne-sia. What started as an effort to cure their own bag-ne-sia was not meant to become a real business. But, as Pam and Caprice saw more people using reusable bags and read about several cities, including San Francisco, who banned plastic bags they considered making it a business and developed a bag-ne-sia reminder kit comprising of various cool « grab your bags reminders » and a reusable shopping bag.
As they wanted a reusable bag large enough to hold up to two to three times what a standard plastic grocery bag holds but small enough that you can roll her up to fit into a purse, this was quite some undertaking. But they succeed in their search for the perfect bag, and we dare to say it was worth the effort. Doesn’t it look great?
We think the Bagnesia reminder kit makes a great eco friendly gift and is an environmentally friendly alternative to post-its and plastic bags.
Isn’t this an inspiring business success story about young entrepreneurship at its best? See what great ideas you can come up while being on a car ride with your best friend? Just make it happen!
But go and see for yourself.
Enjoy!
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