Tagua Nut Earrings, Brown

These elegant, long Fair Trade earrings are made from natural Tagua nuts, also known as vegetable ivory, which come from  an endangered palm tree that only grows in the tropical rainforests of the South American Pacific coasts.

These nuts are then combined with knotted olive green cotton cords and metal ear hooks.

The Tagua nuts mature into a hard, white ‘ivory-like’ substance (hence the reference to the term vegetable ivory) and are harvested without damaging either the plant, or it's natural surroundings.

The Tagua Nut is a renewable and sustainable product, and helps support the employment of nearly 35,000 people in the rainforests.

When ripe the seedpods fall to the ground and are gathered and dried for a period of up to 2 years after which they become extremely hard. The Tagua nut needs to be dried naturally to separate it from its shell. Once separated from the shell it has a dark skin which must be removed to reveal the beautiful ivory colour. With some polishing the nut has a fantastic finish. The Tagua nut can then be cut into different shapes and forms.

It is also possible to dye the nut in a variety of different natural colours. This process reveals the structure and veins of the pure cellulose material giving each piece an individual aspect and a natural look.

Complete the look with a matching necklace and bracelet for a really striking effect. (See below)

Also, why not select a recycled Fair Trade jewellery gift box or pouch to store your new earrings in?

These Fair Trade Tagua nut earrings have been handmade in Lima, Peru

Dimensions -  the drop is 9cm approx.

Our importer has been recognised by the British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) and is the exclusive partner with the Zoe project in Peru, which was established in 2000. They guarantee a minimum order every month to ensure that the project is sustainable and the people involved have regular work.

The women who work for the Zoe project live in the shanty towns of Tablada on the outskirts of Lima and have varying degrees of skill. Each new collection is designed collaboratively with the women, taking into consideration availability of materials and building on existing techniques. They make the products in their own homes enabling them to earn a living wage without having to leave their children. They are paid to train others what they have learnt, so the project is enabling increasing numbers of Peru's poorest women and young people to have the opportunity of fairly paid employment.  

This partnership gives the Zoe project valuable business and design advice ensuring that their products will appeal to the western market. 

The project produces several different ranges of jewellery - their collections include the popular 'Semilla' seed  range, made from seeds and nuts sourced from the Amazon jungle.