About us
Our history began over 10 years ago out of curiosity, fondness for the local natural resources of my native Colombia and South America and a hint of homesickness
After receiving a beautiful bracelet from my mother, made of tagua nuts I grew curious about this extraordinary material, that while being sturdy in its consistency was also smooth to the touch, easy to colour and entirely biodegradable.
The tagua nut is the seed from the tagua palm, which grows widely in the Amazon rain forest. The seeds are collected after falling naturally from the palm, so that no damage is caused to the mature tree. Tagua palms are not just very fertile but each individual pod of tagua nut is unique in its size, grain and shape, which makes each of our accessories unique on its own.
As an independent designer and maker, I strive to create alternative designs for those looking for unique and modern jewellery, while caring for the environment and without compromising style and quality.
As a female entrepreneur, invested in supporting and collaborating with other female entrepreneurs, I have partnered to work with a skilful group of artisan women in Colombia and Ecuador, who are paid fair wages while using natural, well sourced and ethically produced tagua nuts.
We aim to grow sustainably and offer a line of modern, timeless and alluring jewellery designs that resist passing trends and that are biodegradable when they reach their end of life. I create two collections a year, focusing on new colours, exploring new designs and innovating our dying and cutting techniques.
We use only food colouring in our dying process and any remains are disposed of safely.
Angélica León Design is based in Oslo, selling individually crafted products through exclusive retailers in Stockholm, Helsinki, Berlin and New York as well as various locations in Norway. I moved to Norway in 2008 after nearly a decade in London and hold a Bachelors degree in Textile Design from the Chelsea College of Art and Design at the University of the Arts, London.