I’ve just returned from one of our regular trips to the Amazon, where I’ve been working with our partners in the cooperative of indigenous Satere Mawe women, making fair trade jewellery . We spend the days in their communal building which stands on stilts over a stream - a bit different from my usual day in the office!

It’s swelteringly hot and the humidity reaches nearly 95% during the day. The women and their families live in small rooms off this main space; it’s very communal and there are children everywhere, splashing around and having fun in the stream below while the fair trade jewellery is made by their mothers.

One of the women, Bel, is pregnant and due next month. In a country where almost all women opt for an elective caesarian, the Satere Mawe women insist on natural births, which is what Bel is hoping for next month.

I’ll be posting more about my trip to the Amazon over the coming weeks. So stay tuned…

Vanessa

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We have a simple aim here at Jungle Berry. We design and produce jewellery that’s stylish and beautiful, and also ethically produced. If you’re interested in how what you wear is made, but you also want to wear jewellery that doesn’t just say ‘hippy’ or ‘ethnic’, then you’ve come to the right place.

Our Daisy Necklace in Nut Brown is just one example.

This bestselling necklace incorporates sustainably sourced acai seeds from the Amazon rainforest, gorgeous chips of rock crystal, coconut discs, a tiger eye cube and our signature brass daisy. It’s all hung from a silver plated ring and faux suede, with a neat little coconut disc to adjust the hanging length.

Made by artisans in the Amazon rainforest under fair trade conditions, with this necklace you won’t be compromising on style or substance. That’s the Jungle Berry way. Stylish and ethical.

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1. To give you an idea of the sheer size of the rainforest where Jungle Berry works, there’s an island in the mouth of the River Amazon that’s the size of Switzerland. Yes folks, you did read that right. The size of Switzerland. In the mouth of the river.

2. Want to watch a brilliant film that was filmed entirely on location in the Amazon? The 1972 masterpiece Aguirre: the Wrath of God by Werner Herzog and starring Klaus Kinski was included in Time Magazine’s 100 best films of all time list. It’s a stunning film.

3. In the 1970s the military government of Brazil built the 5,000km Trans-Amazonian Highway in an attempt to develop the Amazon region. The road cost billions of dollars to build and opened up swathes of forest to predatory logging and cattle interests, causing untold damage to the eco-system.  Oh, and the road is unpassable for most of the year.

4. Fond of fish? Perhaps not the Candiru fish found in the waters of the Amazon. The candiru feeds parasitically by burrowing into body orifices, then drinking the blood of its victim. We’re not making this up, honestly!

5. Manaus, where Jungle Berry’s producers of fair trade jewellery are mainly located, is located over 900 miles from the coast in the heart of the Amazon. The best way to reach the city is by boat, but allow plenty of time for your journey and bring a hammock!

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Hearts Charm Bracelet

Looking out on another grey winter day, there’s good news for fans of ethical fashion. Jungle Berry’s Hearts Collection is now available to purchase online, in gorgeous red.

Red is the colour that gives off an air of confidence, so you can make an impact this winter with your fair trade jewellery.

Contrast the monotones of your work clothes with a dash of gorgeous red jewellery or for a low-cost way to revamp an old outfit, simply accessorize with a dash of red.

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Have you been watching the BBC series ‘Amazon’? If not, then we highly recommend it. The series gives a wonderful glimpse at the many faces of this vast region. Presenter Bruce Parry is engaging, humble, brave and able to withstand serious bouts of vomiting! Check out the official Amazon site here, and tune in to BBC2 on Mondays at 9pm.

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Jungle Berry will have a stand at Top Drawer Autumn at London’s Olympia on 14-16 September. Open to buyers from across the UK and beyond, this is the chance to view Jungle Berry’s new range of ethical fashion jewellery designed by Suzanne Campbell, which we are launching exclusively at Top Drawer.

If you are a buyer, we’d be delighted to see you at Stand N-N25 where we can show you the new Jungle Berry collections, answer your questions and you can take advantage of our special show offers.

To pre-register for Top Drawer Autumn, just go to the Top Drawer website. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Welcome to the new-look Jungleberry blog and online shop!

If you’re a returning customer, we hope you find our new website easier to navigate, with loads of new products designed by Jungleberry and brought directly to you from our producers in Brazil and Mexico. You’ll also find loads of summer specials to tempt you!

If this is your first visit to the Jungleberry website, we hope you enjoy shopping for Jungleberry’s ethical jewellery, accessories and homewares. You can also find out more about Jungleberry producers, where we work and the fair trade principles that guide us in our business.

What’s more, you can rest assured that our payment system is fully secure. And remember, we ship all over the world!

We welcome feedback from customers, so if you have any questions or experience any difficulties using the new site, you can always drop us a line. We’d be more than happy to deal with your queries. Happy shopping!

Nicholas & Vanessa

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An interesting article in last Sunday’s Observer about ’slow fashion’ - that’s fashion that’s made to last, and not just about getting hold of the latest trend without thinking where it’s made and who’s making it, a trend that you’ll grow tired of next month. Here at Jungleberry, we’re all for quality and the transparency of our production. In fact, all our producers are known to us personally.

And our fair trade ranges are about long-lasting quality, and not ephimeral trends. ‘Cos for us, a thing of beauty is a joy forever.

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Busy, busy, busy. That’s how things have been at Jungle Berry over recent weeks. Not only are we soon to launch our new website, but we’re also getting everything ready for the launch of our new jewellery collection in September at Top Drawer Autumn. Exciting times.

In the meantime, we were chuffed by a feature on Jungle Berry in last week’s South London Press, which is our local newspaper. Here’s a shot of yours truly together with a small selection of Jungle Berry jewellery taken for the feature.

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Thanks to all our many customers and the organisers of the Bristol Vegan Fayre 2008, one of Jungle Berry’s favourite events. The BVF is a great opportunity for Jungle Berry to reach all our Bristol-based customers directly, as well as being a really good event, with great live music, delicious food, loads of activities and talks, all in a lovely waterside setting in the heart of beautiful Bristol. See you next year!

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