Tagua Heaven from Equador

A tagua nut sure has a lot of names. Like The Rain Forest Ivory or Vegetable Ivory. Other titles are Corozo (also spelled Corrozzo), Binroji Nut (Japanese), Steinnuss (German), and Coquilla Nut. A tagua nut is the fruit of a palm tree, primarily Phytelephas macrocarpa, which flourishes in tropical rain forests from Paraguay to Panama.

Natives in Equador replant palm trees for their seeds instead of logging them, which helps save the rain forests. They polish the shell of the seeds and carve them into shape. Results are buttons, jewelry beads and carvings, to name a few.

Where tagua nuts grow high up in South American palms, there are about 40 shelled seeds to a cluster, called a cabeza. Harvesting them appears totally harmless to trees and forests. Tagua vendors can toot their horn for indirectly saving elephants, whales, walrus and other species. Humans are so fortunate to have a natural, organic, resourceful product in plentiful supply.

There are other interesting facts about tagua nuts. Twenty percent of all buttons were made of tagua nuts in the 1920's. Ecuador continues to offer tagua buttons and enjoys a thriving tagua jewelry market too. I refer to this supplier as Tagua Heaven.

When it comes to color shading, the nut has swirl patterning that makes colors more varied and interesting. That especially makes buttons and jewelry pieces uniquely attractive. Whether swirled or solid, lovely carvings and utilitarian objets d'art are made from tagua.

Additional popular items are wine corks, key chains, dice, dominoes and chess pieces. Look further to find cane and umbrella handles, pipes, tiles, and sewing needle cases. Such pieces are often made by the fine art of scrimshaw.

Feel free to ask for images and prices for buttons, jewelry (items or finished pieces), or anything else that can be made from tagua. Bless a natural, organic, resourceful product in plentiful supply!