Our Cork Journey

In 2017, when we decided to bring our vision of home and fashion accessories to the market with Sumsaara, my daughter started looking for a material that was cruelty-free, environmentally responsible and aesthetically beautiful.

A tall order, I thought! 🤔

Amazingly, she found all of these — and much more — in CORK FABRIC!

Until then, familiarity with cork was mainly limited to wine bottle stoppers. And so began an amazing journey of discovering this remarkably versatile vegan leather.

Where Cork Comes From

Cork comes from the bark of cork oak trees, which grow abundantly in the Mediterranean region. We source our cork from Portugal, the world's largest producer of cork, where the cork oak is the national tree.

When a cork oak reaches maturity, highly skilled workers carefully strip its bark without cutting down the tree. The tree is then left to regenerate. Cork can subsequently be harvested at intervals of about nine years.

During its lifespan of around 200 years, a cork oak can be safely harvested many times.

Cork and the Environment

Once its bark is harvested, the cork oak begins regenerating it. During this process, the tree absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

It is estimated that a harvested cork oak absorbs up to five times more carbon dioxide than an unharvested tree.

Cork forests are estimated to capture 73 tons of carbon dioxide for every ton of cork produced, helping to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

And all this happens while the trees remain standing.

From Cork to Cork Fabric

Once harvested, the cork is boiled and dried. It is then shaved into very thin sheets and bonded to a fabric backing.

The cork can then be colored, printed and finished with a protective sealant.

And voilà — we have CORK FABRIC.

Unique Characteristics

LIGHTWEIGHT

More than half of cork’s volume is air. Its honeycomb-like cellular structure makes it exceptionally light.

HYPOALLERGENIC

Cork is naturally antistatic, so it does not readily attract dust and mites.

FLEXIBLE & RESILIENT

Its tiny air-filled cells allow cork to compress and then recover its shape.

WATER RESISTANT

Suberin, a natural substance in cork cell walls, helps make cork highly resistant to moisture.

DURABLE

Its cellular structure gives cork good resistance to wear and friction while keeping it soft to the touch.

The story behind Libra Moonshine

Soon after the launch of our parent brand, Sumsaara, the pandemic changed the world — and the way people connected with one another.

As online meetings became part of everyday life, friends frequently mentioned wanting earrings with color and presence — large enough to be noticed on screen, but not overwhelmingly so.

Experimenting with cork fabric brought an unexpected delight. The earrings were striking, but most remarkable was how incredibly light they were. Cork is so lightweight that even statement earrings can be worn comfortably all day — almost without realizing they're there.

The popularity of the cork earrings showed that they deserved an identity — and a website — of their own.

And so, Libra Moonshine was born.

What’s in a name?

Libra — beauty, design, harmony and balance
Moon — feminine, personal, mysterious and imaginative
Shine — light, sparkle and, of course, jewelry

Together, Libra Moonshine feels like more than a name. It evokes a world or a mood - elegant, a little unexpected, and memorable:)

‍ Mini Bansal

Photo: Videopodlahy · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped from original