Jewelry company Alex and Ani evokes an unstudied, youthful simplicity through its creations. Wearing one of the line’s jingling bangles or long chain necklaces is to feel connected to a young spirit — the kind of person you were as a child, picking flowers for your mom during lazy summer days and collecting tokens for your charm bracelet.

Alex and Ani's "Tree of Life Bangle," also available in gold. (M.J. Prest/EthicalStyle.com)

Carolyn Rafaelian, the designer behind Alex and Ani (tagline: “Where consciousness and glamour coexist”), infuses each piece of jewelry with that joie de vivre. She works with reclaimed precious metals, peacock feathers, and chunky natural stones, but the effect is glamorous bohemian, not hippie-dippy.

What makes the eco-line particularly innovative, however, is its commitment to doing good works through the sale of beautiful things.

Through the company’s Charity By Design program, Alex and Ani supports the causes nearest and dearest to Ms. Rafaelian’s heart. The newest addition to the line is the Tree of Life bangle ($21), an expandable bracelet with a thin metal charm embossed with a growing tree. 

We test drove the bangles, available in gold and silver, during a recent evening out and rediscovered our childhood love for charm bracelets. Same went for other bar-goers — some people even approached us to ask what the charms meant. They have a dainty but organic look, and the expandable design allows it to fit large and small wrists alike. (For jewelry hounds who like the look of stacked bracelets, the Tree of Life version is included in a set of five coordinating bangles, priced at $108.)

Proceeds from the sale of the Tree of Life bangle are pledged toward charitable causes including wildlife preservation and relief efforts for the survivors of natural disasters. 

Alex and Ani just opened its first freestanding store in Newport, R.I., but its jewelry is also available online at Shopbop.com and MaxAndChloe.com.