Tagua, also called vegetable ivory is the dried seedpod of the Tagua Palm tree (Phytelephas Macrocarpa) which grows in the rainforest of South America.

They are pure cellulose and before nuts mature they contain a milky liquid in the centre. When ripe, the nuts fall into the ground and takes up to eight weeks to become hard.

Ivory- nuts have been exported from South America for hundreds of years.  Buttons on uniforms worn by U.S soldiers came from ivory- nuts in the 1920’s . By 1950,  the discovery of new plastic polymers put an end to the use of tagua nuts.

The incentive for using vegetable ivory is that renewed trade in tagua nuts is helping protect the endangered rain forests in Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. The income that this generates has helped the natives protect the area.

Tagua Care

It is important to mention that if the proper production process is not followed, tagua nuts can go bad or moldy. When using vegetable dyes for color the beads may discolor the first couple of wears. After that it will not discolor at all. Avoid using alcohol, perfumes or water on your jewelry.