TREE OF LIFE BRACELET
Back in January 2020, Nina Runsdorf had started working on a new collection called Tree of Life. The normal start of the year for the fine jewelry designer.
Pre-pandemic plans had her launch the exciting new collection of jewelry in July, with a gallery exhibition of the Tree Opals, 15-million-year-old fossilized Indonesian wood turned into unique gems, evocative of land or skyscapes.
Anchored around these exceptional turquoise and rich brown Tree Opals, bold Yahwah Opals were interspersed with paraiba, brown and icy diamonds, then set in warm and sensual rose gold to create this unique, “never too precious to wear” collection.
Little did she know that the collection would be the one to mark the 15th Anniversary of Nina Runsdorf this past November.
From inception, Runsdorf always meant to link the collection to charity. Back in February, fires were raging in California and devastating climate related events were common around the world. The designer and her team felt they couldn’t work on a collection celebrating trees without considering our environment. After a few weeks of research, they found a match with the Environmental Justice Foundation, or EJF for short.
EJF’s vision is for a world where natural ecosystems and wildlife are sustained by the communities who live within them, committed to environmental justice and to protect both people and our shared planet. The foundation is praised for being high-impact, dynamic and responsive to issues of greatest need and urgency with cost-effectiveness unparalleled in the sector. The majority of EJF’s income comes from private philanthropy in Europe and the USA; public grant-makers; donations, events and collaborations.
“This means the world to me; I think the most important thing is to protect our planet and our people.” Says Nina Runsdorf. When asked how long the bracelet would be on sale, Nina added: “We will always have the bracelet, it’s now a permanent part of our collection. This is just the beginning: look out for new versions year on year.”
Nina was happy to find a certified supplier who uses recycled 14 karat gold to make the bracelet, while the beads she chose to adorn the piece are all vintage finds she has collected over the years.
“Enjoy every single minute of your life. Let’s look after each other. And remember what are the most important things in life.” Nina added as parting words.
The UK Non-Profit Director and co-founder of EJF Juliette Williams shared:
“We’re truly honoured to have Nina’s wonderful support and to benefit from her own deep-rooted love of nature. The proceeds from the sale of the beautiful Tree of Life bracelet will support EJF's work with grassroots communities to protect the forests that they call home. At the very heart of our work we inspire people to protect our incredible, unique planet - Tree of Life will help us to do precisely that."
All proceeds from the Tree of Life bracelet will be donated to EJ Foundation and are sold exclusively on NinaRunsdorf.com and the Green Bead Tree of Life Bracelet is a limited edition only available from 1stDibs.com from April 22nd to mark Earth Day.