Discover the enchanting beauty of this tagua necklace, featuring vibrant slices of tagua nuts, reminiscent of exotic jungle flowers. Celebrated as "vegetable ivory," this eco-friendly material boasts a dense, hard grain, adding both sustainability and elegance to your jewelry collection.
- Exquisitely dyed tagua nut slices in vivid colors
- Size: 28"L with a 1.25" drop length
- Material: Tagua nuts and cord, offering an eco-friendly choice
- Origin: Delicately handmade in Ecuador
- A testament to skilled craftsmanship and eco-conscious fashion
Due to the natural variations in tagua nuts, each necklace is uniquely beautiful, and colors may slightly vary from the images shown.
design: A fringe-style bib necklace of hand-cut tagua nut slices in a vivid mix of turquoise, magenta, orange, purple, and green, strung at graduated lengths along a hand-knotted cord so the color and shape play off each other at the collarbone.
size: 28"L necklace with a 1.25" drop length.
material: Tagua nut (vegetable ivory) and cord.
features: Hand-cut tagua slices, hand-dyed color mix, graduated fringe drop, hand-knotted cord, lightweight for its bold scale
care: Wipe clean with a soft, dry cloth and store away from direct sunlight and moisture to keep the dyed color from fading.
disclaimer: Because tagua is a natural seed, the grain and exact color of each slice varies slightly, so no two necklaces are precisely alike.
The Story
Tagua comes from the seed of the tagua palm (Phytelephas), native to Ecuador's coastal and Amazonian rainforest. The seed's dense white interior is often called "vegetable ivory" for its hardness and polish, and it became an important ivory substitute in the 19th and 20th centuries, giving artisan communities a livelihood tied to harvesting seeds rather than felling the palm itself.
This necklace uses that raw material at its most playful: slices of tagua cut into long, tapered shapes and dyed in saturated color, then hung in a dense fringe. The layered, staggered lengths are a design choice common in Ecuadorian tagua jewelry, letting each dyed slice show its own grain and shading rather than matching perfectly to its neighbors.
Working in tagua sits within a broader Andean and coastal Ecuadorian craft economy built around seed and plant materials — straw for Panama hats, tagua for buttons and jewelry — where the value comes from patient hand-finishing of a natural, renewable material rather than mass production.
Tagua seeds are dried until the interior hardens to an ivory-like density, then cut into slices by hand and shaped and sanded to smooth, tapered points. The slices are hand-dyed in small batches, which is why the exact shade of any given color varies piece to piece. Each dyed slice is then hand-drilled and individually knotted onto the cord at its own length, building up the fringe one piece at a time until the necklace reaches its full width and drop.
Craft & Materials
- Made In: Ecuador
- Craft Tradition: Tagua nut carving and dyeing
- Ideal For: Someone who wants one statement necklace to carry a plain top or dress
- Wear It With: Wear with a simple crew neck or scoop-neck top so the color fringe stays the focal point
- Purpose: Everyday statement wear, layering over solid tops, dressing up a plain outfit
Questions & Answers
What is tagua?
Tagua is the seed of the tagua palm, native to Ecuador. When dried, its interior hardens to a dense, ivory-like grain that can be cut, dyed, and polished much like wood or bone.
Is this necklace eco-friendly?
Yes. Tagua is a renewable palm seed harvested without cutting down the tree, making it a sustainable alternative to animal ivory and synthetic materials.
Will my necklace look exactly like the photo?
Close, but not identical. Because tagua is a natural material and each slice is hand-dyed, colors and grain patterns vary slightly from piece to piece.
How do I care for a tagua necklace?
Wipe it with a soft, dry cloth after wearing and keep it out of water and direct sun, which can dull the dyed color over time.
What is the necklace's length and drop?
It measures 28 inches long with a 1.25-inch drop from the base of the collar to the tips of the fringe.
