beautiful jewelry

Costa Rican artisan Luis Barboza loves to create beautiful jewelry from recyclable materials. The artisan handcrafts beads by cutting strips of recycled paper and rolling them into the desired shape, creating a variety of colors and textures. The paper beads, both elongated and round, are strung with pinewood beads to create this long necklace.

Artisan Rosario Leiva of Guatemala brings new life to recycled CDs in these beautiful and fascinating dangle earrings with sterling silver hooks. She melts the CD scrap in a mold, then artfully applies droplets of acrylic to achieve her desired colors--purple, turquoise, and yellow for this pair of earrings--and then fuses the CD material and acrylic together using a blow torch. The resulting effect is magnificent translucent color punctuated with air bubbles that create unique patterns.

About her work, the artisan says: "I love creating jewelry with materials that most people would discard. Let's all take the time to think about the endless opportunities we have to give 'waste' materials another chance."

In this dazzling long, Y-shaped necklace, dainty glass and pinewood beads in shades of turquoise, yellow and caramel beautifully come together for a stunning pop of color. But the main attractions are the exquisite ceramic and coconut shell accents that form the gorgeous pendant, connected through petite brass beads and fixtures. This bold accessory is handcrafted by the artisans of the Domenech Foundation's Callotl Project in El Salvador, dedicated to the sustainable progress of the Costa del Sol region and the preservation of sea turtles. Through their work, they repurpose underappreciated coconut materials, once destined for firewood, into eco-conscious goods that pay homage to the region's extraordinary biodiversity.

Animuonyam, or "glory" in the Ghanaian Akan language, is an apt description for this bold necklace, designed and crafted by Salome Korkor Kpokli. Multicolored polyhedral recycled glass beads are interspersed with cat's eye beads in the front, while the balance of the necklace features recycled red glass disc beads.

"I draw inspiration from the traditions of my Akuapim culture," explains artisan Cynthia Danquah, who creates this beautifully vivid beaded necklace from her home in West Africa. The charming long necklace features wood and recycled plastic beads, and is centered by a sese wood crescent moon engraved with lines and swirls. Cynthia names her design kae me, which is an Akan phrase meaning "remember me."

Stunning ceramic and recycled glass beads beautifully intersperse in this gorgeous stretch charm bracelet that blends sustainability and style. In a delightful finishing touch, Ghanaian artisan Tina Quaye tops off the eco-friendly accessory with a sparkling crystal bead charm shaped like a butterfly. This lovely bracelet shows how fashion can intertwine with environmental awareness.