A colorful new fashion trend has hit WCU’s campus just in time for spring– Pura Vida bracelets. Pura Vida bracelets are unique, handmade bracelets fair trade from Costa Rica with a great story behind them.
According to their website, Pura Vida Bracelet Sales was formed when two friends were in Costa Rica celebrating their college graduation. They noticed a man named Jorge peddling handmade bracelets on the street. The pair of friends was inspired by the bracelets’ simplicity and beauty, and they quickly became good friends and business partners with Jorge. Soon, Jorge went from selling 2-5 bracelets per week to almost 15,000 bracelets per week.
The entrepreneurs decided to name the company Pura Vida, which means “pure life” in Spanish. According to their website, “Enjoying life slowly, celebrating good fortune and not taking anything for granted embodies the Pura Vida lifestyle.”
In Costa Rica, each bracelet is handmade with unique color combinations. The bracelets benefit both the Costa Rican jewelers and the Surf Rider Foundation, a 50,000-member volunteer organization that is dedicated to cleaning up beaches and oceans around the world. Pura Vida also has bracelets that fund charities and raise awareness of specific causes such as lung cancer awareness, autism awareness, the United States Army, breast cancer awareness, and more. Every bracelet purchased helps to provide full time jobs for local Costa Rican artisans.
The bracelets are unisex and each one is different. Bracelets will be ordered when a large enough shipment is in demand. Each bracelet ranges in price from $5 to $15; the more expensive ones are beaded and braided.
Second-year WCU student Hannah Djalleta is the official campus representative for Pura Vida. She can be contacted at HD739136@wcupa.edu.
For more information visit www.puravidabracelets.com.
Hannah Djalleta is a second-year student dual majoring in early grades and special education. She can be reached at HD739136@wcupa.edu.
Carol Fritz can be reached at CF716022@wcupa.edu.