Cartagena necklace by Irma Guzman Jewelry
In jewelry terms, a “statement piece” is an item that makes a statement about its wearer.
When it comes to women who prefer a natural or minimalist style, we sometimes think not wearing any jewelry makes a statement about us. Maybe we’re telling the world…
- We believe less is more,
- We don’t want toxic chemicals around our necks,
- We refuse to support an often unethical industry… or
- “Hey, this organic cotton earth mama dress just doesn’t jive with bling!”
Whatever the reasons may be, these last few months of working with eco jewelry designer, Irma Guzman have shown me dozens more ways eco jewelry can be stylish, smart, and completely sustainable.
In case you missed our previous posts, Irma makes natural, beautiful jewelry from nature’s own discarded gems. So far, we’ve highlighted her designs made from tagua seeds and pumpkin seeds. And now that Memorial Day has past, and we’ve all got our sights set on summer, Irma’s latest Lookbook is filled with Cartagena-inspired styles. Cartagena is Irma’s native city – a picturesque seaport on the northern coast of Colombia.
Cartagena, Colombia
What strikes me as I look through Irma’s photos of Cartagena is the rich, vivid color. A bright blue house with hot pink arches would look insane in my neighborhood. But set in splendor on the Caribbean coast, it’s energy is alive and perfect.
Irma says she loves how a “stroll through Cartagena’s narrow alleys will lead you to the imposing colonial structures with lovely protruding balconies draped with colorful bougainvilleas and tropical flowers.”
How has this vibrant city inspired her designs? ”Our tagua necklaces are composed of tagua nut petals with exotic shapes and vibrant colors which make them very chic and feminine, while staying on the right side of sustainability,” Irma explains.
Apple Green & Turquoise necklace by Irma Guzman
Mompox earrings by Irma Guzman
These earrings are a combination of Camajuro seeds dangling from acai seeds. We love these dark, earthy colors – especially for women with fair or light hair. The brighter shades would look great with all hair colors. These earrings have their own unique style and are slightly different shapes depending on the seeds they’re made from.
Finally, no post about this amazing designer would be complete without including one of her style boards. When I mentioned to her that I would be attending the BlogHer Conference in New York this summer, she immediately responded with an email full of looks to choose from. Here’s one I could easily pull off… well, maybe with slightly shorter heels….
Just like with Irma’s other collections, all of the seeds, nuts, and beans come from Colombia and are harvested and dyed with natural oils and procedures. Everything is made in the company’s atelier in Rockwall, Texas, to ensure high quality and the least amount of material wasted.
This post was sponsored by Irma Guzman Eco Jewelry, but all opinions are genuinely mine. We only share info about companies that are truly working toward sustainability. See our Disclosure for details.
