Rhino Tears Jewellery

What Rhino Tears Jewellery does

Rhino Tears Jewellery is a UK registered charity (England & Wales no. 1189095) founded in 2012 by Sarah Cobden-Ramsay after she encountered Thandi, a white rhino who survived a 2012 poaching attack at Kariega Game Reserve in South Africa. The company designs and sells handmade rhino-themed jewellery — primarily a signature teardrop pendant cast in sterling silver, gold vermeil, or 9ct gold using wax carving, silver casting, and hand-finishing techniques, with some pieces set with responsibly sourced diamonds and hallmarked with a triangle-and-T motif in Thandi's honour. The product line extends the teardrop motif into bangles, cuffs (women's and men's), earrings, and cufflinks, priced from £55 to £655.

The business operates exclusively as direct-to-consumer e-commerce through rhinotears.org, processing payments via PayPal (including guest checkout) and offering flat-rate £5.50 worldwide shipping. Customers are individual conservation-minded buyers, gift purchasers, and people with direct ties to Kariega Game Reserve or similar sanctuaries, primarily in the UK and US, supported by WhatsApp and email channels. Brand reach has been extended by an earned-media feature in The Sunday Times' Style Magazine and an active social presence on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

The revenue model combines one-time handmade jewellery sales with optional direct donations; 100% of profits are directed to three core beneficiary organisations — Helping Rhinos, Project Rhino KZN, and the Kariega Foundation — funding anti-poaching units (including the 36-woman Black Mambas patrol), the Rhino Art education programme (reached 500,000+ young people), and reserves such as Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The company is founder-operated with 1-10 employees, has no institutional or venture backing, and does not sell through third-party retailers or marketplaces.

Name

Rhino Tears Jewellery

Legal name

Rhino Tears Jewellery

Website

https://rhinotears.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rhino Tears Jewellery is a UK registered charity that designs and sells handmade rhino-themed silver, gold, and diamond jewellery direct-to-consumer via its own website, donating 100% of profits to rhino anti-poaching and conservation partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Handmade Jewellery

NAICS

Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing (33991), Jewelry Retailers (458310)

SIC

Jewelry, Precious Metal (3911)

akta.pro primary industry

Precious Metal Jewelry (Gold/Platinum/Silver) (CRAKAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ethical/Sustainable Fine Jewelry (Responsible Sourcing/Traceability) (CRAKAAAM), Ethical/Sustainable & Recycled Materials Jewelry Manufacturing (CRAKAIAM)

Keywords

• Handmade jewellery
• Sterling silver pendants
• Gold vermeil jewellery
• Conservation fundraising
• Rhino charity jewellery

Headquarters

HQ city

West Sussex

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Jewellery Sales: One-time purchase of handmade jewellery items including pendants, earrings, bangles, cuffs, and cufflinks. 100% of profits are donated to rhino conservation causes.
2. Direct Donations: Customers can donate directly to the charity without purchasing jewellery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rhino Tears Jewellery designs, handcrafts and sells handmade sterling silver, gold vermeil, 9ct gold, and diamond rhino-teardrop jewellery — including pendants, cuffs, bangles, earrings and cufflinks — through its own e-commerce website at rhinotears.org. As a registered UK charity (no. 1189095), 100% of profits are donated to three rhino conservation and anti-poaching partners: Helping Rhinos, Project Rhino KZN and the Kariega Foundation. Customers can also donate directly without purchasing jewellery.

Product overview

Rhino Tears Jewellery is a single-product-line charity business built around the Rhino Tear pendant — a teardrop-shaped piece available across multiple materials and form factors. The core offering is the Silver Tear Pendant, from which the entire collection extends: Gold Vermeil, 9ct Gold, and Diamond-encrusted pendant variants; plus cuffs, bangles, earrings, and cufflinks for men and women. All products share the same teardrop design motif inspired by Thandi the rhino and are handmade and hand-finished. The company sells exclusively direct-to-consumer via its website with global shipping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Silver Tear Pendant Collection

Quantifiable outcome

• Thandi's legacy now spans 7 rhinos (5 calves and 2 grandchildren), demonstrating successful conservation impact
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Helping RhinoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA core beneficiary of Rhino Tears profits. Helping Rhinos applies innovative conservation approaches focusing on collaboration, empowerment, and sustainability. Their work includes supporting the Black Mambas anti-poaching unit and Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
• Project Rhino KZNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn association of organisations facilitating rhino conservation interventions aimed at eliminating rhino poaching and securing white and black rhino populations in South Africa. Also runs the Rhino Art programme reaching over 500,000 young people.
• Kariega FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe conservation arm of Kariega Game Reserve, home to Thandi the poaching survivor. The foundation supports anti-poaching units including ranger units and dog patrols, plus community education programmes in local villages.
• Black MambasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Africa's first all-female anti-poaching unit consisting of 36 young African women who patrol 50,000 hectares of Balule Nature Reserve within Greater Kruger National Park.
• Ol Pejeta ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 400 square kilometre wildlife safe haven in Kenya's Laikipia region, home to the largest black rhino population in East Africa and the last two northern white rhinos.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cred Jewellery: Ethical fine jewelry brand using Fairmined gold and responsibly sourced stones with a strong traceability story. Directly comparable on the ethical/responsible-sourcing angle layered onto precious-metal jewelry manufacturing.
• Alex Monroe: UK-based handmade fine jewelry brand known for nature-inspired (especially floral and animal) motifs sold DTC and through premium stockists. Directly comparable on handmade craftsmanship, UK origin, and signature-design-led catalog.
• Born Free Foundation Shop: Wildlife charity that sells jewelry and merchandise supporting animal conservation, including wildlife-themed pieces. Directly comparable as a UK conservation-charity-led jewelry/gifts retailer.
• Daisy London: UK demi-fine jewelry brand selling meaningful, symbolic pieces (charms, pendants) via DTC. Comparable on mission-driven gifting positioning, symbolic motif-led catalog, and silver/gold tiered pricing structure.
• WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Shop: Conservation charity merchandise program selling wildlife-themed jewelry and gifts to support species conservation. Directly comparable as a charity-led jewelry retailer raising funds for wildlife causes through symbolic animal-themed pieces.

Others

• Hoover & Strong: US-based ethical jewelry manufacturer and wholesaler specialising in recycled precious metals and responsibly sourced stones. Comparable as an ethical precious-metal jewelry manufacturer upstream of retail jewelry brands.

Broad incumbents

• Monica Vinader: Established UK demi-fine and fine jewelry brand with a strong sustainability/ethical-sourcing narrative and DTC-led distribution. Comparable on UK base, ethical positioning, and precious-metal product mix (silver, gold vermeil, diamonds).
• Mejuri: Large-scale DTC fine jewelry company with a strong digital, social-led GTM motion. Comparable on DTC e-commerce, social-media-led acquisition, and tiered fine-jewelry price ladder, though much larger in scale.

Emerging players

• Boma Jewelry: B-Corp certified jewelry brand with a heritage artisan story and ethical sourcing commitments. Comparable on artisan-made precious-metal jewelry paired with a strong ethical/social mission narrative.
• Article 22: Sustainable jewelry brand making pieces from recycled/upcycled materials including repurposed bomb/shrapnel metal, with a strong storytelling narrative. Comparable on handmade, story-driven jewelry with an ethical/sustainability positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/rhinotears
• Instagraminstagram.com/rhinotears
• Facebookfacebook.com/RhinoTearsJewellery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhino-tears-jewellery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhino Tears Jewellery