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Turquoise Tagua Necklace with Gold Pod
  • Turquoise Tagua Necklace with Gold Pod
  • Turquoise Tagua Necklace with Gold Pod
  • Turquoise Tagua Necklace with Gold Pod
  • Turquoise Tagua Necklace with Gold Pod
  • Turquoise Tagua Necklace with Gold Pod
  • Turquoise Tagua Necklace with Gold Pod
  • Turquoise Tagua Necklace with Gold Pod
  • Turquoise Tagua Necklace with Gold Pod
Turquoise Tagua Necklace with Gold Pod

Turquoise Tagua Necklace with Gold Pod

$64.00
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BT-N227

A run of chunky turquoise beads sits knotted along a cobalt suede cord, broken on one side by a single mirror-polished gold pod — an asymmetric weight that pulls the whole composition off center.

  • Material: Tagua nut, blue suede cord, 24K gold plating on accent pod
  • Color: Turquoise, gold
  • Length: Adjustable, up to 32 in
  • Origin: Colombia
  • Accent: 24K gold-plated tagua pod
  • Cord: Blue suede, hand-knotted

The beads vary in scale and profile from one to the next, so the line around the neck stays irregular rather than uniform. Worn long, the gold pod sits near one collarbone; shortened at the knot, it lifts toward the throat and shifts as you move.
Details
  • Adjustable up to 32 in
  • Single 24k gold-plated tagua pod accent
  • Hand-dyed turquoise tagua beads
  • Blue suede cord
  • Hand-knotted between beads

Each bead is cut and dyed from a natural tagua nut by hand, so slight variations in shape, size and color are normal and part of the piece.

The Story

Tagua is the seed of a palm native to the rainforests of Colombia and Ecuador. Dried, it hardens to a dense, ivory-like material that has long been carved as a substitute for animal ivory — the reason it is often called vegetable ivory. Harvesting it sustainably makes standing palms more valuable than cleared land, tying the craft directly to conservation.

This piece uses tagua in its most direct form: large, naturally irregular nut chunks dyed a saturated turquoise and left short of uniform polish, so the material's grain stays visible. The single gold-plated pod breaks the pattern deliberately — a common device in Colombian tagua work, where one accent bead is gilded to catch light against a field of color.

Women artisans in Colombia hand-select the dried nuts, slice and shape each one, then dye the beads in small batches to reach an even color that still lets the grain show through. One bead per necklace is set aside for gold plating as a separate finishing step; every piece is then hand-strung and knotted on suede cord, knot by knot, so the beads sit securely and the length stays adjustable.

Craft & Care
  • Technique: Tagua nut carving and dyeing (vegetable ivory)

Wipe clean with a soft, dry cloth. Keep away from water, perfume and lotion to protect the dye and gold plating.

Questions

What is tagua, and is it real ivory?

No — tagua is a plant seed from a palm native to Colombia and Ecuador, sometimes called vegetable ivory because it hardens to a dense, ivory-like texture once dried. No animal material is used.

How long is the necklace?

It is adjustable, up to 32 in at its longest, so it can be worn long or shortened to sit closer to the collarbone.

Will the color or gold plating wear off?

With normal care — kept away from water, perfume and lotion, and wiped clean with a dry cloth — the dye and plating hold up well, though all plating can dull gradually with heavy wear.

Why do the beads look slightly different from each other?

Each bead is cut from a natural tagua nut and dyed and shaped by hand, so slight differences in size, shape and tone are expected.

Who makes this necklace?

It is handcrafted by women artisans in Colombia through fair-trade production.

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