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Tagua Multi-Colored Slice Necklaces- Hand-Dyed-Peru
Tagua Multi-Colored Slice Necklaces- Hand-Dyed-Peru
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Our Tagua Multi-Colored Slices and beads are dyed with a natural dye and then drilled and strung to make these unique necklaces. They are bright and bold to make you stand out in a crowd. They are also adjustable so you can wear them at any length. People will ask what they are made from, where they come from, and who made them. You can read more about Tagua in the story below.
- Necklace Measure - 20'' long x 1-1/2'' wide
- Adjustable
- Hand-Dyed with Natural Dye
- Matching earrings sold separately
Tagua, also known as vegetable ivory, is a seed from an endangered palm tree that is found in tropical rainforests located along the Pacific coast of South America. Apart from being a renewable and natural resource, tagua shares many similar traits as elephant ivory, hence its name vegetable ivory. Colombia is second only to Ecuador in the production and exporting of tagua nuts.Β Β
Handmade in Peru and fair trade imported from Peru.
Β We encourage you to help save rainforests by considering a Tagua nut purchase. Please read our extended description below, under "About the Artisans" for more information on how tagua nut carvings are made, and how they have helped save thousands of acres of rainforest and wildlife habitat.
About the Artisans
About the Artisans
Chichicastenango, Guatemala, has become one of the most important heritage centers in Guatemala during the past 10 years, due to its predominant indigenous Maya Quiche population and their traditional textile products. Yet, despite increased tourism and a renewed interest in traditional Mayan crafts, work opportunities remain few for the indigenous population, many of whom are uneducated and otherwise unemployable.
Enter De Colores Art, a local business that levels the playing field for villagers by offering free training to anyone who demonstrates the initiative to learn a trade. The company employs 30 women and 18 men to knit and embroider textile products, with the option of working at home using materials provided by the company. De Colores recognizes the culture of its Mayan employees, and as such allows flexible hours and gives time off for sowing and harvest days.
De Colores also invests in community education projects by funding two local schools in the neighboring towns of Chujupen y Pachoj, and by providing scholarships to qualifying students.
In addition to stimulating the local economy by creating new jobs, De Colores makes a conscious effort to use recycled materials whenever possible. The reason for this is twofold: to preserve Mayan culture, as recycled textiles showcase traditional knitting patterns that arenβt often seen in newer textiles, and to reduce scraps and waste.
Communities collaborate in the production process, as men work on the biggest textiles and women do the embroidery, crochet and macramΓ© seen in smaller pieces. In some cases, in order to be competitive, sewing machines are used to assemble the finished product, although all the components are handmade and hand embroidered from cotton, wool and/or silk.
