Tagua Nut Necklace – A Treasure from the Rainforest

Tagua, also known as the stone nut, plant ivory, or vegetable ivory, is a natural material harvested from the seeds of the tagua palm. The tagua palm grows wild and thrives in the tropical rainforests of South and Central America.

From the 19th century until the middle of the 20th century, tagua became a more affordable alternative to animal ivory in Europe, mainly used for making buttons. Because of this, it was also known as “poor man’s ivory” or vegetable ivory.

A tagua fruit contains several nuts/seeds, usually around 3–5 cm in size, with a more or less oval shape. The fruits are filled with a jelly-like cellulose substance. Once the fruits have ripened and fallen to the ground, it takes more than a year for the gel-like material inside to naturally harden and for the seeds to become truly solid.

Only after this natural drying process can the tagua nuts be carefully crafted and transformed into beautiful creations.