About Us
Every Purchase of our Sustainable, Handmade, Organic Jewelry Creates an Economic Opportunity
Join us in our mission to provide life changing opportunities for our Ecuadorian Artisans
…It all started with a puzzle piece.
How Organic Tagua Jewelry Started
Founder and Creative Director Soraya Cedeno has a very long history of working closely with local and national autism foundations to increase awareness and improve the lives of persons with autism and their families. As a fundraiser, Soraya was (and still is) constantly searching for unique ways to generate donations. This provided an extraordinary opportunity to marry two of her passions: giving back to her village in Ecuador and helping those affected by autism by creating a puzzle piece bracelet from Tagua. Due to the success of the puzzle piece bracelet, Soraya was able to launch Organic Tagua Jewelry and share the beauty and creativity of her people's work with the world. Organic Tagua Jewelry is based in Stuart, FL, and is family owned and operated.
Wife, Mother, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
About The Founder
Soraya Cedeno was born in a small coastal village in Ecuador, renowned as a haven for gifted artisans specializing in a relatively unknown raw material: Tagua. Soraya carried her love of her people and her culture as she traveled the world and looked for ways to give back to those who inspired her as a child. Influenced by high fashion in New York and Miami, Soraya works with local artisans in her hometown in Ecuador. This jewelry is not only organic, eco-friendly and sustainable, its creation provides unparalleled economic opportunity to the artisans who produce it. In support of this mission, Soraya developed a partnership with the Government of Ecuador to provide business management education and training to empower the artisans with professional knowledge and skills of management, communication and productivity.
Vegetable Ivory
About Tagua
All of our products are handcrafted from a palm tree nut native to the lush tropical rainforests of Ecuador. Also referred to as the Ecuadorean Ivory Palm, the Tagua tree produces several bushels of seed pods a year with up to 100 Tagua nuts per pod. These nuts are then harvested, dried, and crafted into a wide range of products from vibrant modern jewelry, ornate figurines, to everyday items like shirt buttons. Also known as Vegetable Ivory, Tagua has the same appearance, density, and feel of animal ivory without doing any harm to any animals or the rainforests where it is gathered.
Go Green, Go Handmade
About Our Jewelry
All of our Organic Tagua Jewelry is handmade and dyed using high-grade certified organic vegetable dyes imported from Italy. Our collections offer a wide range of bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces, figurines, and key chains. Our products are Proposition 65 tested and certified. Due to the scarcity and uniqueness of each piece, no two pieces are exactly the same. Additionally, the colors and/or color combinations available may also vary.
Not a charity, an empowering community transformation
Our Commitment to Fair Trade Practices:
Organic Tagua Jewelry's mission is to promote the beautiful, eco-friendly, and 100% sustainable Tagua Ivory around the world. By doing so, we empower artisans in our founders' hometown in Ecuador by providing reliable employment and a decent living wage. We have a very special and direct relationship with our artisans since one of our founders still lives in the village. Our artisans are our friends and neighbors, and we are proud to promote their work. Through direct equitable trade, our artisans are able to eat better, keep their children in school, and invest in their futures, while keeping their traditions alive and vibrant. The production of our products keeps these families, their local economy, and their beautiful natural environment strong today and for generations to come.
Protecting the Rainforest and Endangered Species
Our Commitment to the Environment:
Our products aid with the preservation of the Rainforest and its wildlife, since the tagua nut provides shelter and nourishment to forest animals like agoutis and squirrels. The left over materials and by-products of the tagua nut also help feed the livestock in the village. Additionally, the promotion and sale of tagua helps with the preservation of various mammals like elephants, whales, and walruses that have been slaughtered to near extinction for their ivory.