Pura Vida
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Californian brand known for string and beaded bracelets.
Pura Vida can't show that the workers who make its products in India and Guatemala earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production in high-risk countries and untraced high-risk mined materials. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and India, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Conflict-free: diamonds, gems and gold traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined (the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough)
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't traceShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Pura Vida names some of the countries it makes in: China, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, India, Cambodia and El Salvador. The rest is shown as where jewellery and watches are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| ThailandUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ItalyUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| SwitzerlandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
| Costa Rica | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Guatemala | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Cambodia | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| El Salvador | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: gold and gemstone mining are linked to child labour, forced labour and mercury poisoning.
- Relies on gold and gemstones from artisanal mines where workers face mercury poisoning, silica dust and deadly collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Vera Bradley's last annual report covering Pura Vida (FY2025) said its products are sourced primarily from El Salvador, plus China, India, Guatemala, Cambodia and Indonesia, from unnamed manufacturers order by order; its B Corp profile adds Costa Rica artisans. No country shares are disclosed, so countries are listed without shares. Its site says 'partner factories' in six countries, unnamed. In 2018 it said bracelets were not all handmade by Costa Rican artisans. No supplier list, audits or wage data are published.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| B Corp directory | Certified | Certified B Corp since February 2022; current B Impact Score 82.7 (84.2 at first certification). View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | No Ethical Fashion Report score found for Pura Vida; the latest edition is 2026 and ethical.org.au lists clothing, footwear and accessories categories with no jewellery category. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Pura Vida Bracelets - B Lab directory · search the archive · Certified B Corp since Feb 2022, score 82.7; partners with more than 800 artisans in Costa Rica, El Salvador and India.
- Vera Bradley, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal 2025 · search the archive · Pura Vida sourced primarily from El Salvador, plus China, India, Guatemala, Cambodia and Indonesia; no long-term manufacturer contracts.
- Affiliates of CriticalPoint acquire Pura Vida Bracelets from Vera Bradley (FashionUnited) · search the archive · June 2025 sale to CriticalPoint affiliates; founded 2010 in La Jolla, California; Ryan Heuser remains CEO.
- San Diego-based Pura Vida says all products may not be made in Costa Rica (10News, 2018) · search the archive · In 2018 the company said products are made in Costa Rica, El Salvador and India and not all are handmade by Costa Rican artisans.
Published by Pura Vida or its owner
- Pura Vida Bracelets home page · search the archive · Shipping selector lists the US, Canada, UK and EU countries only; Australia is not offered.
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Pura Vida ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/pura-vida, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other fashion jewellery brands
Nothing we've rated in fashion jewellery is better than Lacks transparency yet.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Pura Vida.