Pura Vida Bracelets
{{Short description|Online jewelry retailer in California}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Pura Vida Bracelets
| logo =
| type =
| industry = Handcrafted Jewelry
| fate =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| founded = {{Start date|2010}}
| founder = {{unbulletedlist|
- Griffin Thall
- Paul Goodman}}
| defunct =
| hq_location_city = La Jolla, California
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served =
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| products =
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}}
Pura Vida Bracelets is a La Jolla, California–based company that sells hand-crafted bracelets and jewelry online and through boutique stores. It was founded in 2010 by Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman, who created the business having been inspired by Costa Rican culture after discovering the bracelet style while on a vacation in Costa Rica.{{Cite web|url=http://www.puravidabracelets.com/story|title=The Pura Vida Story|website=Pura Vida Bracelets|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31}}
Pura Vida means "pure life" in Spanish; in Costa Rica it is said frequently and has many meanings, such as hello, goodbye, or even to say thank you.{{cite web|url=http://costarica.com/culture/national-motto/|title=National Motto|last=Van Velzer|first=Ryan|date=June 21, 2015|work=costarica.com|accessdate=16 February 2016}} In an interview, Thall and Goodman called the term "the slogan of Costa Rica, just like the word 'aloha' from Hawaii".
About
The company, which is based in La Jolla, California, was founded by Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman in 2010.{{cite web|last1=Todorovic|first1=Stefan|title=From Passion to Profits: Pura Vida Bracelets|url=http://www.ryot.org/pura-vida-bracletes/930976|website=Ryot|accessdate=13 January 2016|date=9 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151228101830/http://www.ryot.org/pura-vida-bracletes/930976#|archive-date=2015-12-28|url-status=dead|df=}} Thall and Goodman traveled to Costa Rica together on vacation after graduating from San Diego State University, where they met a pair of bracelet makers named Joaquin and Jorge. They then purchased 400 bracelets for $100 to bring back to the United States. The pair initially sold their original stock at Planet Blue, a small boutique located in Malibu, California.{{Cite web|url=https://ktla.com/morning-news/pura-vida-bracelets-made-by-artisans-worldwide/|title=Pura Vida Bracelets Made by Artisans Worldwide|date=2019-07-12|website=KTLA|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-07}}{{cite web|url=http://patch.com/california/agourahills/pura-vida-bracelets-beyond-the-fashion-trend|title=Pura Vida Bracelets: Beyond the Fashion Trend|last1=Reverente|first1=Mira Del Fonso|date=28 June 2011|website=Patch: Agoura Hills|publisher=Patch Media|accessdate=13 January 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://abc7.com/society/socal-entrepreneurs-make-millions-selling-bracelets-for-charity/504844/|title=SoCal entrepreneurs make millions selling bracelets for charity|last1=Elex|first1=Michaelson|date=13 February 2015|website=KABC-TV|accessdate=13 January 2016}} By late 2013, Pura Vida had grown to a dozen US-based staff and 50 Costa Rica{{En dash}}based staff.{{cite web|last1=Karas|first1=David|title=Pura Vida Bracelets creates jobs, funds good works|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2013/1202/Pura-Vida-Bracelets-creates-jobs-funds-good-works|website=The Christian Science Monitor|accessdate=13 January 2016|date=2 December 2013}} As of July 2019, the company has over 650 employees that work to create these bracelets.{{Cite web|url=https://ktla.com/morning-news/pura-vida-bracelets-made-by-artisans-worldwide/|title=Pura Vida Bracelets Made by Artisans Worldwide|date=2019-07-12|website=KTLA|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-07}}
Pura Vida also creates bracelets for charitable organizations, as a cause marketing fundraiser; bracelets are produced in a charitable organization's colors, and a portion of the sale of those bracelets goes to that charitable organization.
In 2019, Vera Bradley purchased a 75% stakeholder share in Pura Vida’s parent company, Creative Genius. The 75% of the company was valued at $75 million. They have the option to purchase the remainder of the company in 2024.{{cite news|url= https://www.sdbj.com/news/2019/jun/24/pura-vida-bracelets-acquired-vera-bradley/|title=Vera Bradley Acquires 75% Stake in Pura Vida|last=Concepcion|first=Mariel|publisher=San Diego Business Journal|date=2019-06-24|accessdate=2020-01-01}}{{cite news|url= https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/20/vera-bradley-acquires-a-majority-stake-in-pura-vida-bracelets.html|title=Vera Bradley acquires a majority stake in online jewelry store Pura Vida Bracelets|last=Wu|first=Jasmine|publisher=CNBC|date=2019-06-20|accessdate=2020-01-01}}