Pura Vida bracelets are the latest trend to sweep across college campuses everywhere. The colorful strands of thread are cute, affordable and beneficial to a wide range of charities. People everywhere can't wait to start their very own collection of this colorful arm candy. 

Pura Vida is a company that sells bracelets made by people in a small community in Costa Rica. Founded by Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman, this company sells bracelets of all different styles and colors in surf shops, boutiques and even department stores all across America.

The company got its start after Griffin and Paul met two Costa Rican men, Jorge and Joaquin, who sold bracelets for a living but received little recognition for their beautiful handiwork. Since the boys were only in Costa Rica for Spring Break, they decided to buy 500 of the bracelets from the two men and bring them back to California where they would put them in a local boutique to see how well they would sell. The jewelry completely sold out and soon people were asking for more. This began the Pura Vida movement, and the rest is history. 

The movement attached to these bracelets is all about embracing a pure and simple lifestyle. Pura Vida means "pure life" in Spanish and the phrase promotes hard work and appreciation for all the little blessings in life. Every bracelet is unique and each style comes in a wide range of colors that can fit anyone's personality or lifestyle. Not only are the bracelets versatile, they are also affordable. The simplest of styles is sold for only five dollars, which is a great price to pay when you know that the money is benefiting something bigger than yourself.

That's where the charity part of this organization comes into play. By purchasing these bracelets, you are helping provide jobs for many artisans in Costa Rica. Along with that, the Charity Collections of bracelets helps support charities all over the world. Each bracelet in that collection is linked to a specific charity, and 20 percent of the proceeds from each sale are sent directly to their cause. In 2013, the company as a whole donated over $140,000 to almost 200 different organizations. Many fans of the company agree that the charitable aspect of the company makes collecting the bracelets all the more exciting. 

"I love the Pura Vida bracelets because I can buy cute jewelry and support a good cause all at the same time," said Katherine Cagle, a sophomore at Mississippi State. Cagle received her first bracelet almost two years ago as a gift from her boyfriend. She now has ten bracelets in her collection and has recently been awarded the honor of serving as a campus rep for the company. 

These bracelets are great for rocking around a college campus and have become a staple piece of jewelry for many people across the country. All in all, Pura Vida is a great company to support, and their success will keep growing as the movement continues to spread.

If you are interested in purchasing these bracelets, you can go to puravidabracelets.com to shop all the latest colors and styles. Be sure to use to code CAGLE10 at checkout to get an exclusive discount!