Tagua jewelry is a beautiful alternative to traditional ivory, but where does it come from and how is it made? ... This gorgeous, cruelty-free mineral is made from the tagua nut and can be used much the same as ivory without harming any animals. The tagua nut is grown on the Ecuadorian Ivory Palm.

What is tagua jewelry made from?

That's right - now the tagua nuts have turned into organic jewelry, but they have a long journey behind them. Tagua, also called vegetable ivory, is made from the endosperm of the seeds of some palm trees in the tropical rainforests of Ecuador and other parts of Latin America.

How do you identify a Tagua nut?

Tagua nuts are small (roughly 2″ long) seeds from palm trees in the Phytelephas genus. Beneath the thin, brown, flaky skin of the nuts lies a stark white tissue that closely resembles animal ivory: hence Tagua nuts are sometimes referred to as palm ivory.

What is Tagua nut carving?

What is Tagua Nut? Tagua (also known as vegetable ivory) comes from a type of nut that grows on a palm tree. When mature the nuts are dried and then cut or carved into beautiful sculptures, jewelry, and souvenirs.

What is tagua Ecuador?

Handmade in Ecuador

Also known as “vegetable ivory” tagua is produced by a palm-like tree in South America. ... The nuts fall to the ground when mature, thus harvesting does not damage the trees. Cultural tradition and forest preservation combine in the use of this renewable resource.

The Tagua Documentary. Making of beads and jewelry of The Tagua Nut

23 related questions found

Is Tagua a nut or seed?

Tagua Seeds are commonly known as ivory palms, ivory-nut palms or tagua palms. Its scientific name is phytelephas which means “Plant elephant.” Tagua is a botanical seed that grows in Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. It has the same physical characteristics of elephant ivory, and is commonly referred to as vegetable ivory.

Can you dye tagua nuts?

Place your tagua nuts into a plastic or metal container that has a lid. In a separate container, combine 4 tsp of a fibre reactive dye with 1 cup of warm water. Mix the two ingredients well. Pour the dye and water mixture over the nuts.

What tagua means?

1 : ivory palm. 2 : ivory nut sense 1.

What is meant by vegetable ivory?

1 : the hard white opaque endosperm of the ivory nut that takes a high polish and is used as a substitute for ivory.

How can you tell if it is real ivory?

Though authentic ivory is made from elephant tusks, people imitate with bone or even plastic, which can be weighted to feel like ivory. You can usually tell if the piece is a fake made of bone by observing the tunnels in the bones – authentic ivory will have no striations.

What is a Corozo nut?

The corozo or tagua (Ta-goo-ah) nut is used for carving figurines, turning buttons and crafting other fashion accessories is the seed of a tropical palm, a species scientifically known as phytelephas macrocarpas.

What is Corozo button?

Corozo buttons are made from the seeds of the tagua palm tree. They are often called “vegetable ivory” because the smooth, hard surface resembles ivory. ... These buttons are a classic suit or shirt style with their rimmed edge and four-hole style, but they would also work for dresses, skirts, pants, and coats.

Where do Tagua seeds come from?

The tagua nut is grown on the Ecuadorian Ivory Palm. As the tree grows, the tagua nuts gets harder, thicker, and larger inside of their seed pods. Some tagua nuts can grow up to six centimeters! Once the seed pods are ripe, they're picked and the seeds are dried in the sun.

How do you say Tagua?

Phonetic spelling of tagua

1. tagua.
2. tah-gwuh.
3. Tag-goo-ah Tah-gwah Tau-gew-ah.
4. Tah-gwah.
5. Tau-gew-ah.

How do you identify ivory vegetables?

Dyes do not penetrate very deep, which means that a piece may have a natural colour centre and darker edges. This is one way to tell vegetable ivory buttons from other materials – they usually have a white line in the middle. Vegetable ivory is made from the very hard white endosperm of the seeds.

Are corozo buttons expensive?

Corozo has historically been more expensive than plastic, but more recently Corozo has become more affordable. Another reason is that unlike plastic or shell, Corozo can yellow over time, and so brands looking for a clean crisp white button may not consider Corozo for this reason.

Can you wash corozo buttons?

Clothing with corozo buttons can be machine washed, steamed, dry cleaned and even ironed with no harmful effects.

What is corozo English?

( noun ) : corozo palm , palm , palm tree.

Is corozo biodegradable?

Corozo is a completely biodegradable product. And a great alternative for plastic that takes a greater toll on our environment each year.

Are corozo buttons sustainable?

Corozo originates from Mexico to Brazil and is a fruit that grows on various types of palm trees. The dyes used with corozo are non-toxic and biodegradable. ... The entire process from plant to product is environmentally friendly as the fruits are only picked once fallen naturally.

Are wood buttons sustainable?

Very very bad for the planet and its inhabitants! Wood buttons require only wood from the timber and finishes that are child safe in accordance with the Consumer Product Safety Commission standards of 2009. That means you can swallow one of our buttons and you'll be ok. They're 100% non-toxic.

Can I sell old ivory?

It is now illegal to sell or have the intent to sell ANY IVORY within the State of California or to sell it to any bidders within the State of California REGARDLESS OF THE AGE of the ivory.

Is it illegal to own ivory jewelry?

Ivory sales are also banned in several states, such as California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Washington and New York. ... Interstate sales of ivory items is also prohibited in the U.S. for sport trophies and ivory items that were brought into the U.S. as part of a scientific research project or law enforcement investigation.

How much is a piece of ivory worth?

As for items made from genuine ivory, typical prices can range from as little as $300 for a small figurine to $450 for a puzzle ball, according to Larry Cox at the Arizona Republic. The price ivory, as per the New York Times, was $500 a pound and could increase, even if China were to ban the legal ivory trade.