![\"artes_en_tagua_retouch\"](\"http:\/\/www.realityofthemyth.com\/jjfarm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/artes_en_tagua_retouch.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nRipe tagua nuts are gathered from semi-cultivated\u00a0native groves\u00a0and then laid out for drying.\u00a0 The nut then goes through an interesting metamorphosis.\u00a0\u00a0 When fresh, the flesh of the tagua is jelly like and is sweet to the taste.\u00a0 As it drys the nut becomes very hard and takes on the aspects of ivory\u2014both in luster and in density.\u00a0\u00a0 After curing for a year, it can be carved into intricate shapes, dyed in vivid colors and buffed to a\u00a0lustrous finish.<\/p>\n
Tagua is a green product.\u00a0 Because you can’t have tagua without tagua palms, native stands are worth more than the land underneath.\u00a0 This discourages people from clearing the land to make way for cattle and crops.\u00a0 It also provides a near identical substitute for animal ivory, meeting a demand and helping relieve the pressure to take\u00a0ivory producing animals\u00a0from the wild.<\/p>\n
Tagua nut production provides economic opportunities in rural areas where few other prospects exist. Gatherers, artisans and workshop owners can all make a living wage from tagua.\u00a0\u00a0 We purchased our tagua by traveling to a remote corner of Ecuador where we dealt directly with a small, family owned tagua workshop.\u00a0\u00a0 By eliminating the middle man we could pay the producers a fair price and still provide our customers with tagua items at a lower cost than many of our competitors.<\/p>\n
Before ordering please keep in mind that part of the beauty of tagua is that it is a natural product\u2014no two pieces are alike.\u00a0\u00a0 Unless otherwise specified, all tagua items are sold within \u201ccolor families.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 The item you receive may not be the exact item pictured.<\/p>\n
Click on the individual color pictures below to order.<\/p>\n
2 hole Tagua Buttons<\/span><\/p>\n $2.50 each<\/p>\n .<\/span><\/strong> <\/p>\n Undrilled Tagua slices<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n $2.50 each<\/p>\n Slices are available in the same colors as buttons above.\u00a0 They are undrilled and ready to be used in your own project.<\/p>\n Click on the individual color button pictures above to order<\/p>\n Fancy, Undrilled\u00a0Tagua Slices<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n $3.50 each<\/p>\n These slices are the top and bottom cuts taken from the nut.\u00a0 Buffed and then dyed, the natural pattern of the nut’s surface leaps to life.\u00a0 Available in the same colors as the buttons above.\u00a0 These slices are truly gems, we’ve never seen them anywhere else.<\/p>\n Click on the individual color\u00a0button pictures above to order<\/p>\n Tagua jewelry<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n