Palm Ivory
from
South America
Tagua Nut is a seed that comes from the Tagua palm tree (also called Ivory Palm) which grows in Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. Tagua palm is also sometimes called the Elephant Plant. The sweet, milky, pulp-like substance inside a young seed is eaten by animals and is edible to humans that would also use it for hunting.
Each melon-sized fruit pod covered in a horned husk contains 4 seeds the size of a hen's egg. Once a mature seed has baked in the sun for several months, it becomes as hard as ivory that can be carved into figurines, buttons, beads or jewellery.
In recent years, harvesting of this natural product has created a significant commodity for the region, improving the lives of many indigenous people. It helps to dramatically reduce de-forestation as more forest is reclaimed for the industry, and potentially lessens the threat to the Elephant, generating an innovative, legal and ethical alternative to the ivory trade.
The indigenous people of Ecuador create all of our products, maintaining original designs and craft skills of the Inca. Each product has been individually hand crafted while using natural dyes for colouring to form a completely unique item.
Supporting the eco-friendly Tagua industry is an enlightening, thought-provoking alternative enabling everyone to enjoy the beauty and elegance of palm ivory jewellery.
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