Ecuador · Sustainable Luxury · Est. 2026

Born in the Andes.<br/>Refined by Design.

Urkaya brings Ecuador's finest natural materials — tagua jewelry, hand-woven textiles, and Amazonian guayusa — to conscious consumers and retailers worldwide.

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Handcrafted in Ecuador

0% EU Import Duty

Artisan Community Sourcing

Sustainable Materials Only

Export-Ready Documentation

Our Story

Born from two worlds.<br/>Built for one purpose.

“Urkaya” comes from the Kichwa word for mountain. It is not a metaphor — it is a declaration of origin. Everything we make begins in the Andes and the Amazon basin of Ecuador: a country of extraordinary natural wealth and some of the world's most skilled hands.

We founded Urkaya because we believed that the tagua nut deserved better than a souvenir table. That guayusa deserved better than obscurity. That the weavers of Otavalo and the carvers of Montecristi deserved global markets — not just local ones.

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Meet the Artisans

All artisans →

The Shop

New arrivals

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tagua

Carved Necklace

A single tagua pendant shaped by hand and finished with natural dye. Each one is unique — the nut determines the form.

From €42

guayusa

Premium Loose Leaf Guayusa

Sun-dried guayusa leaves from Miguel Tapuy's family chacra in Napo Province. Smooth, earthy, energising — with none of the crash.

From €14

tagua

Statement Earrings

Hand-carved tagua in bold geometric forms. Lightweight enough for all-day wear; striking enough to be the only accessory you need.

From €28

tagua

Tagua Bracelet

Line One

Jewelry & Sustainable Fashion

Tagua jewelry, hand-carved from Ecuador’s vegetable ivory. Ponchos and artisan textiles woven by Andean craftspeople. Each piece carries a story that no machine can replicate.

Tagua JewelryPonchosWoven Textiles

Shop the collection →

Line Two

Guayusa & Amazonian Botanicals

The Amazon’s best-kept secret — a natural energiser with no crash, rich in antioxidants, and ancestral in its roots. Used by Kichwa communities for over 1,500 years.

Dried LeafTea BagsRTD Coming Soon

Discover guayusa →

Origin & Impact

The Materials

Full materials guide →

Vegetable Ivory

Tagua

A seed from Ecuadorian palm trees, internationally recognised as the sustainable alternative to animal ivory. Hard, durable, warm in the hand — and better than plastic in every way that matters.

Learn more →

Amazonian Botanical

Guayusa

Used for 1,500 years by Kichwa communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Natural caffeine, L-theanine, and antioxidants — without the crash of coffee or the edge of synthetic energy.

Learn more →

Andean Heritage

Textiles

Hand-woven by Otavalo artisans using techniques over 2,000 years old. Natural fibres — sheep wool, alpaca, organic cotton — dyed with indigo, cochineal, and achiote. Every pattern is a cosmology.

Learn more →

Transparency

From the Andes to your door

We keep our supply chain short, documented, and fully traceable — from the artisan's hands to the end customer, with no hidden steps and no anonymous intermediaries.

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Step 01

Harvest

Materials sustainably harvested from Ecuador’s forests and highlands by partner communities — by hand, in season.

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Step 02

Craft

Artisans in Montecristi and Otavalo shape, weave, and finish each piece by hand using traditional techniques passed down through generations.

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Step 03

Quality Check

Every batch is inspected against Urkaya’s standards. Anything that does not meet them is returned or repurposed — never sold.

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Step 04

Export

Full customs documentation prepared: phytosanitary certificates, certificates of origin, customs invoices. Zero import duty under the EU–Ecuador FTA.

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Step 05

Delivered

Minimal packaging. Tracked and insured shipping. Every order arrives knowing exactly where it came from and who made it.

Community Impact

Every piece gives back

A portion of every Urkaya sale returns directly to the artisan communities that make the brand possible — funding fair wages, skills training, and cultural preservation programmes. We do not use the word “impact” lightly. We use it to mean: money, in the right hands, doing measurable good.

Our impact report →

“Every piece carries the memory of a mountain.”

Certifications & Standards

Built on verifiable integrity

We pursue the certifications that matter to our buyers — not as marketing tools, but as commitments to the people and places behind every product. Below is where we stand today.

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ARCSA Registration

● Active

Ecuador’s national health authority registration for guayusa production and export. Required for all food-grade botanical exports.

♾️

EU–Ecuador FTA

● Active · 0% duty

Preferential import tariff for Ecuador-origin goods entering the EU. We provide certificates of origin with every shipment.

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Fair Trade (WFTO)

◐ In progress

Formal WFTO fair trade certification underway with our Ecuadorian artisan partner network. Expected completion 2026.

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Organic (Guayusa)

◐ In progress

Organic certification for the guayusa line through an accredited certifying body in Ecuador. Application submitted.

For Trade & Wholesale

A partnership built on transparency.

Urkaya offers European importers and retailers a complete trade proposition: exceptional products, full export documentation, and a relationship — not just a transaction. We are actively building partnerships in Germany and the wider DACH region.

Duty

0% Import Tariff

The EU–Ecuador Free Trade Agreement eliminates import duty on tagua jewelry (HS 960200) and qualifying guayusa lines. We provide a certificate of origin with every shipment.

Documentation

Export-Ready

Phytosanitary certificates, certificates of origin, customs invoices, and packing lists — all prepared by Urkaya for every order. German-language documentation available on request.

Minimums

Flexible MOQ

From 10 pieces per SKU for jewelry, 5 pieces for textiles, and 2 kg for guayusa. Trial orders welcomed. Volume discounts scale with order size.

Request a Trade Pack

Frequently Asked

Questions & Answers

Journal

Stories from the Andes

All articles →

Trade

April 2026

Botanicals

March 2026

Craft

March 2026

Stay Connected

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Press & Media

Telling the Urkaya story

For journalists, editors, and trade publications covering sustainable fashion, ethical sourcing, Latin American exports, or the wellness market — everything you need is here.

Ambiente Frankfurt

GEPA Trade

AHK Ecuador

Key Facts

Founded2026 · Quito, Ecuador

Product LinesArtisan jewelry & fashion · Guayusa & Amazonian botanicals

MaterialsTagua vegetable ivory · Natural Andean textiles · Wild-cultivated guayusa

Primary MarketGermany & DACH region

Trade Advantage0% EU import duty under EU–Ecuador FTA

Press ContactPress contact email coming soon

Brand Assets

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Logo Pack

SVG + PNG · Light & Dark · All formats

Download

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Product Photography

High-res · 12 images · ZIP 48 MB

Download

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Brand Fact Sheet

PDF · 2 pages · English & German

Download

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Founder Bios & Headshots

Short & long form · EN / DE / ES

Download

Press enquiry →

Get in Touch

Let's start a conversation

Whether you're a retailer looking to stock Urkaya, a journalist researching sustainable trade, or a customer with a question — we are here, and we respond within 24 hours.

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Based in

Quito, Ecuador

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Phone & WhatsApp

Phone number to be added

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General

hello@urkaya.de