Perfectly crafted to showcase the beauty of eco-friendly materials, this necklace effortlessly combines sustainability with fashion, featuring an array of blue and purple tones
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Design: Features seven tagua chips, each uniquely shaped and colored to create a harmonious gradient of blues and purples.
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Material: Made from natural tagua, also known as vegetable ivory, celebrated for its smooth texture and durability.
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Size: Approximately 20 inches long, with a lobster clasp and extension chain for adjustable wear.
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Origin: Crafted in the USA using imported tagua, ensuring quality craftsmanship and sustainable sourcing.
design: Seven organically shaped tagua chips move from deep plum through violet to sky blue and seafoam, strung in a gentle gradient on an oxidized chain with a delicate figure-eight link and lobster clasp.
size: Approximately 20 inches long, with a lobster clasp and extension chain for adjustable wear.
material: Natural tagua nut (vegetable ivory) chips; alloy chain, jump rings and lobster clasp in an oxidized finish.
features: Seven uniquely shaped and colored tagua chips, hand-graduated blue-to-purple palette, adjustable extension chain, lobster clasp closure
care: Wipe clean with a soft, dry cloth and keep away from perfume, lotion and prolonged moisture to protect the tagua's natural shine.
disclaimer: Because each chip is cut, dyed and polished from a natural tagua nut, shape, size and color saturation will vary slightly from piece to piece.
The Story
Tagua is the seed of a palm native to the rainforests of Central and South America. Its dense, ivory-white interior carves and polishes so much like elephant ivory that traders in the 19th and early 20th centuries called it "vegetable ivory" and shipped it by the ton to button factories in Europe and the U.S. — for a time, tagua buttons outnumbered nearly every other kind on the market.
That same density and smooth grain make tagua a natural for jewelry today. Cut into flat, freeform chips like the ones on this necklace, it takes dye evenly and holds a high polish, so a single nut can yield a whole spectrum of color from one honest, renewable material rather than plastic or mined stone.
Because tagua palms keep producing seed pods for decades without being felled, the nut has become a go-to material for designers who want bold color and organic shape without the environmental cost of ivory or synthetic resin — which is exactly the trade this necklace is built on.
Raw tagua nuts are dried until they harden to an ivory-like density, then sliced and shaped into chips before being sanded smooth to bring out the material's natural grain. Each chip is hand-dyed in small batches to reach its color, buffed to a soft polish, and drilled so it can be linked with jump rings — a process that leaves every piece with its own slight variation in shape and hue, since no two tagua nuts slice exactly alike.
Craft & Materials
- Made In: USA
- Craft Tradition: Tagua carving (vegetable ivory)
- Ideal For: Anyone who wants a bold, colorful statement necklace with a sustainable story behind it
- Wear It With: Let it be the focal point over a simple crew neck or V-neck in a solid, neutral color
- Purpose: Statement necklace, everyday wear, gifting
- Metal: Alloy chain, jump rings and clasp in an oxidized finish
Questions & Answers
What is tagua?
Tagua is the seed of a South and Central American palm tree. Once dried, it hardens to a smooth, ivory-like density, which is why it's often called "vegetable ivory" — and why it's prized as a plant-based alternative to carved animal ivory.
Is this necklace adjustable?
Yes. It measures approximately 20 inches with a lobster clasp and an extension chain, so you can adjust the length slightly to sit exactly where you want it.
Will the colors fade or chip?
The dye is set into the polished tagua surface, but like any natural material it should be kept away from excess moisture, perfume and lotion, and wiped clean with a soft dry cloth to keep its color and shine over time.
Why do the chips look slightly different from the photo?
Each chip is cut and dyed from a natural tagua nut, so shape, size and exact color saturation vary piece to piece — that variation is part of working with a real, uncut material rather than a molded synthetic.
Is tagua a sustainable material?
Yes. Tagua palms produce seed pods repeatedly over their lifespan without being cut down, making the nut a renewable resource and a lower-impact alternative to mined stone, plastic or animal ivory.