Maria y Antonio de Mendoza-Cuellar                      

Seven years ago Maria Elena and Antonio de Mendoza Cuéllar lived in Colombia. Antonio was the president of a multinational technology firm, and Maria worked as general manager of an e-commerce company, when they decided to come to live in the United Kingdom.

In 2004, Antonio and Maria founded DeMEC Limited, a jewellery company specializing in Eco-friendly jewellery, using vegetable ivory and pearls as a main raw material.

Maria designs and makes, Antonio manages and designs, and together the couple believe their efforts will protect elephants, preserve rainforests, aid local economies of indigenous South Americans and generate a new type of jewellery for the European markets.

"This is a way to support the Latin American plantations of Vegetable Ivory while hopefully saving elephants," said Antonio. "Our philosophy is to give back to nature what she has been giving to us."

In their workshop, Antonio and his wife, Maria, eagerly await the raw material arrival in their working places.

After unpacking the pieces, Maria Elena and her assistants classify the material and make them into fine and elegant necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings. They combine the materials with gold and silver and were the first to set  it with diamonds, sapphires, rubies or semi-precious stones.

Then they take the jewellery to trade shows, craft fairs and some markets in London to promote the designs and high quality of their work.