Tagua nut and silver bracelets.
The beads in these bracelets were carved from the Tagua nut (shown in the background). Also known as "vegetable ivory" or "palm ivory," Tagua is a renewable and sustainable resource from the rainforests of South America.

The Tagua nuts are collected from the rainforest floor without any harm to the trees or the surrounding environment. As the nuts dry out in the sun (4-6 months), the liquid in the seed casing hardens into the interesting patterns visible in the nut beads.

When dried, the nuts resemble elephant ivory and have replaced it in several industries. Having a renewable and sustainable export encourages the growth and maintenance of the Tagua Palm trees and promotes reforestation of previously deforested areas. Local authorities preserve and maintain the rainforest instead of allowing more of it to be destroyed to create farmland. Carnelian Knoll's use of Tagua helps sustain legitimate, environmentally-conscious business development in Ecuador.

$38; contact Julie for ordering details.

Jewelry designs and site content © 1998-2010 Carnelian Knoll. Content contact: Julie Siegmund Last updated: January 13, 2010 Technical contact: Steve Friedman