Amanda Frayer artisan // illustrator // designer

Tagua nut is the seed of a tree similar to a palm but not actually in the palm family. It grows in the tropical rainforests of Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. It’s scientific name, Phytelephas aequatorialis, literally means “elephant plant.” It is derived from the Greek words “phyton” for plant and “elephas” for elephant.

Female palms bear clusters of large, brown fruits, the size of grapefruits or melons. This fruit, also known as mococha, has many locular cavities each containing two or more seeds. Each mococha takes years to fully mature. When it ripens and falls, forest animals such as agoutis and squirrels eat them. Others are gathered by indigenous people to sell and make crafts with.

Tagua nuts are remarkably hard, with a rating of 2.5 on the scale of mineral hardness. (Compare this rating with 3.5 for a copper penny.) They are naturally white and similar in texture to elephant ivory, that is why they are often referred to as vegetable ivory. In one year a tagua palm produces the same amount of “ivory” as one elephant. Tagua nuts can also be dyed any color. Please ask about my color selection if you’re interested. (Note: if you choose dyed tagua nut for your ring, it can not paired with any other wood.)

In the late 1800s up through World War II, 20% of buttons manufactured in the U.S. were made from tagua nuts. Colombia and Ecuador were exporting nearly 40,000 tons of nuts. Some buttons on uniforms worn by American soldiers were made from tagua nut. Other items from the Victorian era are tagua nut: jewelry, dice, chess pieces and cane handles. In the l950s, the discovery of plastic put an end to all that.

Conservation International has been instrumental in bringing sustainable demand for tagua nuts back. In 1990, they started an initiative to provide economic incentives for responsible harvesting of the tagua palm nut. One World Project, which works with CI, is the supplier I buy from. Their nuts are fair trade certified and provide jobs to 1,800 indigenous people. Purchasing a tagua nut ring helps preserve the Amazon rainforest, and gives impoverished South Americans an opportunity to benefit from its preservation at the same time.

For another alternative to ivory, see also holly.

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Believed to bring the wearer: harmony, love of family and friends, preservation, tranquility, fertility, potency

Other associations: protection against negativity, attracting abundance, increasing inner strength

Spirit animal: elephant, squirrel, paca, agouti