Our Story

The inspiration

Natascha Wernick established Babareki Beads in 2001 after returning from teaching and living in the Solomon Islands. The traditional craft of bead jewellery construction had been passed on to her originally by her grandmother, but it was experiencing how full of meaning, and how powerful beads still are to the indigenous Solomon Islanders that inspired Natascha to leave her teaching career and follow her passion.  The meaning of the name Babareki Beads is twofold: in the Rovianna Lagoon area where Natascha was living, Babareki means two friends walking with their arms around each other, and to Natascha personally, beads represent our connection with the ancient, with each other, with our creative spirits and with the earth.

The Babareki Beads Studio Gallery is situated in the lush rainforests of the Greater Byron Bay area where majestic Mt Warning provides the backdrop and inspiration for the creation of our designer bead jewellery collections. Mt Warning, known increasingly by its aboriginal name Wollumbin is the first peak in Australia to be touched by the rising sun.  Shrouded in ancient mystery and dense tropical rainforests Wollumbin is the remaining volcanic core of the Tweed Valley Shield Volcano formed over 20 million years ago. The ecological and geological diversity and beauty of the caldera motivates our artists to create jewellery designs that reflect this amazing natural environment and to find materials and construction methods that are in harmony with the earth.

The Eco Collection

The Eco Collection has evolved out of Natascha’s love of the natural world and her desire to create a range of jewellery based on ecologically sound practices. In the Eco Collection she uses beads from her own collection, begun when she was a child, and  sources vibrant organic beads made from  stones, seeds, shells, glass, timber and coconut shell and strings them with recycled ,vintage and hand made beads. Each piece in the collection is individually designed and created by Babareki Beads artists using vivid colours, textures and forms reminiscent of the surrounding Australian rainforest.

The Zodiac Range

The Zodiac Range is the most recent addition to the Eco Collection.  Beginning in February 2006, Babareki Beads began releasing an exclusive range of designs each month that reflect the signs of the zodiac.  This range was added to the Eco Collection as a result of Natascha’s combined interest in Astrology and the power of colour and semi-precious stones to imbue her jewellery designs with deeper meaning.

Before creating the designs much time went into researching the personality traits, colours and meanings of stones and crystals in relation to the Zodiac signs.  A selection of correlating stones and beads in relevant colour combinations are chosen to create exquisite jewellery designs around the up and coming Zodiac sign for each month. 

The Zodiac line is released each month, one week before the Zodiac sign changes for that month and all designs are available for purchase from that time.  Each line has its own unique e-postcard to further encapsulate the meanings of the Zodiac sign and jewellery pieces.  If you are on our Babareki Beads mailing list you will have received these beautiful e-postcards monthly throughout 2006.  If not, just log onto the website and you will be sent our most recent one.  The e-postcards are currently showcased along with the jewellery designs in the Zodiac Range Catalogue.

Eco Friendly

Babareki Beads is an eco friendly business committed to the development of ethical and sustainable business principles, using green power and recycling wherever possible.  With Natascha’s background in Permaculture and personal interest in the environment, the business has evolved many environmentally sound principles including:

 sourcing artists, designers and crafts people from within the local area; 

using green power through the local energy company;

using post rather than motor vehicle to deliver jewellery to outlets;

 using recycled paper as much as possible;

sourcing second hand and recycled beads ;

 purchasing new beads that are organic and that can return to the earth;

lovingly hand making our jewellery; 

 producing the collection without exploitation of or harm to people and animals; 

 making jewellery that is more durable than the alternatives thus saving resources and  cutting down on pollution;

 part of every purchase from Babareki Beads goes to the Wild Mountains Trust, an environmental education facility in the Border Ranges of South East Queensland.

In establishing Babareki Beads as a successful business Natascha has managed to follow her passion for beads and bead jewellery.  She has created valuable space in the Australian art and fashion market place for locally hand crafted, designer jewellery whilst maintaining her focus on evolving business practices that are conscious, sustainable, and in harmony with the beautiful natural environment in which she lives.

Babareki Beads Commercial portfolio

The Babareki Beads Business Journey

2001-2003  Art/craft Markets Northern New south Wales, Cleveland and Riverside, Brisbane.
2001 Bead parties.
2003 Studio Gallery in Uki, Northern New South Wales 2004 Website:   www.babarekibeads.com on line
2006 Website:   www.ecojewellery.com.au

Regional Gallery exhibits

2001 Queensland Art Gallery Brisbane
2001 Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery, South Australia
2003 Tweed Regional Art Gallery, Murwillumbah
2002 Art and Soul  Gallery Boonah QLD

 Commercial Gallery exhibits

2002 Tumbulgum Gallery Tumbulgum
2003 NSW Riverside Artisans Cooperative Murwillumbah
2004 Wet Paint Gallery, Mount Warning
2005 How Great Thou Art Gallery, Murwillumbah
2005 Freckled Lounge Byron Bay

Boutiques and Retail Outlets

Ross Evans Garden Centre Gold Coast QLD (Australian Garden centre of the year, 2005)
Urban Groove Fortitude Valley Brisbane
Natalie Denning Queen St Mall Brisbane
Art Tours Bulimba Brisbane
Green Tangerine Paddington Brisbane
Bowerbird Emporium Murwillumbah NSW
Emporio Byron Bay NSW
Aurora Bangalow NSW Rainforest centre
Murwillumbah, NSW
The Silver Dragon Brunswick Heads NSW

Exhibitions/Launches

2004 September Uki Dreaming, Launch of the “OM Collection”
2004 September  Wet Paint Gallery, Mount Warning
  “Eclectic Dreamers”
2005  April  How Great Thou Art Gallery, Murwillumbah, 
  “There is no time like the present”
2005  October Launch of “The Stones Collection”
2006 April  Wet Paint Gallery , Mount Warning,
  “’Whole Woman’s exhibition
2006 Feb-Apr  “Ukitopia Art show” one weekend a month