| Tagua nut carvings may look like they have been | | | | can their sale save swathes of rainforest from being |
| produced from finest ivory, but the truth is, it has never | | | | cut down due to farming, they can also replace the |
| been anywhere near an elephant! The tagua nut is | | | | trade of elephant ivory, where elephants are |
| actually a very hard nut that comes from a tree | | | | butchered solely for their valuable ivory tusks. In 1990, |
| known as the ivory nut palm. This nut can be carved | | | | the Tagua Initiative was started, a conservation-based |
| and polished to a high degree, making it difficult to | | | | enterprise that was devoted to creating economic |
| discern from elephant ivory. The paleness of the nut | | | | incentives for harvesting these popular and valuable |
| and the ease with which it can be carved has made it | | | | nuts. |
| very popular as an adornment or decorative piece. | | | | It is interesting to note that tagua nut carvings have, in |
| The tagua nut carvings have often been referred to | | | | some ways, been with the United States a great deal |
| as vegetable ivory, or corozo, and needs to be dried | | | | longer than you might think. For instance, until |
| out before it can be carved. While fresh, it has a flaky | | | | inexpensive plastic buttons came along, about 20% of |
| brown skin and it shaped a bit like a small avocado. | | | | all buttons made in the United states were made with |
| These nuts hail from the South American rainforest, | | | | tagua nuts. Today, Ecuador is a country that is known |
| where they are found on the ground, often haver | | | | for its skillful tagua nut carvings, which can come in the |
| having been stripped of their skin by animals and | | | | form of boxes, jewelry, keychains and other |
| insects. After being dried, carved and polished, these | | | | ornaments. Tagua nuts have been carved for many |
| nuts can be used for a variety of purposes, including | | | | years, but international markets are just beginning to |
| making beads, jewelry, and even bagpipes! In many | | | | notice how beautiful this material is and how skilled the |
| ways, the vegetable ivory of the tagua nut carvings | | | | artisans who carve it can be. |
| can do a great deal to relieve the desire for ivory. | | | | If you have an interest in tagua nut carvings, you'll find |
| Many humanitarians and environmentalists strongly | | | | that there are many different options available to you! |
| support the production of tagua nut carvings. Not only | | | | |