Tagua, Vegetable Ivory
The Tagua, also known as vegetable ivory, is the seed of the palm Macrocarpa Phytelephas, which grows in tropical rain forests of the Pacific region, especially in Colombia, Panama and Ecuador. Each palm produces up to 15 fruits and each fruit has approximately 30 seeds in reaching a size of up to 10 cm in diameter.
After harvesting, the seeds are dried for several months, during which the tagua becomes hard and white on the appearance of ivory. Then the seeds can be dyeing, polishing, cutting and carving and become the raw material for various crafts, jewelry, ornaments and buttons.