In September of 2010, a little over one year after Baraka Gems officially opened our doors for business in Seattle, WA, I was contacted by a woman with a very special request for a very special lady. 

I had recently launched our first-ever Baraka-designed piece of jewelry into the market. There were five versions of a sterling silver African pendant necklace that a friend and I created together to celebrate one of my favorite places in the world…East Africa. A place that not only has captured my heart, but my commitment to make a difference in this world. Shortly after launching that series of necklaces, I unexpectedly received a message from Diane, a woman who at the time was volunteering for the US branch of the Jane Goodall Foundation. Diane asked if I would be able to engrave the back of one of our Sterling Silver Black Enamel Tanzanite Pendant Necklaces with the date Jane had first arrived in Gombe, Tanzania. She wanted to present that necklace to Jane as a gift for her service…and so did I. I honestly couldn’t think of a better person in this world to “baraka (bless)” us with the honor of owning one of our pieces than Jane Goodall. As a result, we had the engraving completed and sent the necklace out to Diane to hand off to Jane. Jane can be seen wearing her necklace in most of her public pictures (including on the cover of the October 11th, 2021 edition of Time Magazine), and in videos (including her most recent Netflix documentary). 

I don’t follow a lot of popular people in this world. There are rising and falling stars all the time; even more so with the onslaught of social media “influencers” and the frantic race to the most views and followers. There are, however, a handful of individuals whom I have watched rise to the top, and balance on the peak of life with an almost unexplainable grace and kindness. In my mind, Jane stood on one of those peaks. I believe the only way she could have done that was with the indelible courage, unending curiosity, limitless love, and unwavering focus on bettering the world that pulled her to, and through, her often tumultuous journey in Gombe. I think the heroes in this world are the ones who, even after all the adversity they have faced, can still maintain some sense of empathy and compassion for the hurting, and hope for a better future for everyone. 

I met Jane briefly at one of her events in Seattle, and she was every bit as warm, kind and supportive as I had dreamt her to be. After receiving her necklace, she hand-wrote me a letter thanking me for the necklace, and encouraging my work in East Africa. That’s just the kind of woman Jane was. A woman who knew that time well spent was personally telling people they matter, and to not give up. I can’t remember if I have ever shed tears at the passing of a public figure who I had almost no connection with. Jane’s death, because of her life, changed that for me. Jane’s passing has left at least a small void for many of us individually, and a big one for the whole world. One that I don’t believe anyone can fill, or should try. While I believe we should all do something to make the world a better place, Jane was truly a one-of-a-kind force for good to be reckoned with, and that’s why I wanted to honor and celebrate her this April. 

Some may wonder why Baraka Gems waited six months from the date of Jane’s death before launching this tribute. The primary reason is that we didn’t want it to seem like we were trying to profit from her death. I say this because as part of our tribute, we are going to resurrect the remaining supply of the five different versions of our exclusive African pendant necklace. For almost fifteen years, we have been honored by Jane’s appreciation for, and commitment to so faithfully wear her African pendant necklace. We wanted to give a few of you the chance to remember her as well by purchasing one of the necklaces from this series. For every purchase made, we will be donating our regular 10% of profits to our own sister non-profit, A Ring of Hope so we can further our impact in East Africa, as well as 10% additional profits to Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots program. 

Another reason why we waited to honor Jane is that April 3rd is Jane’s birthday, and officially considered Jane Goodall Day. What better time to join in on the worldwide celebration of such a wonderful woman than in April! I encourage you this month, as I encourage myself as well, to consider what each of us can do to make someone else’s life better. It’s spring, and spring is a perfect time to help someone with their growth. May our memory of Jane be the catalyst to carry on her grace and kindness to the world. 

We raise a glass of Irish whiskey (neat of course) to you, Jane! 

Jamie Jockwig
Founder/Entrepreneur - Baraka Gems