What is Jarina? The Amazonian Vegetable Ivory Behind Our Seed Jewelry
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By Silvana Budge | Amazonian Treasures
If you've ever held a piece of seed jewelry and marveled at how smooth, dense, and almost porcelain-like it feels, there's a good chance you were holding jarina.
Jarina is one of the Amazon's most extraordinary natural materials, a seed so dense, so smooth, and so beautifully workable that it has been used for centuries as a sustainable alternative to elephant ivory. And yet most people in the United States have never heard of it.
At Amazonian Treasures, jarina is one of our most beloved materials. Here's why.
What is Jarina?
Jarina (Phytelephas macrocarpa) is the seed of the jarina palm, a plant native to the tropical rainforests of South America, particularly Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. It is also known as tagua, vegetable ivory, or corozo, depending on the region and tradition.
The jarina palm produces large, woody fruits that contain several seeds. When fresh, the seeds have a soft, milky interior, similar to a young coconut. As they dry and harden over months and years, they develop an extraordinarily dense, ivory-like texture that is one of the hardest natural materials in the plant kingdom.
This hardness, combined with its smooth surface and creamy white color, is what earned jarina its nickname: vegetable ivory. And unlike animal ivory, no living creature is harmed in its harvest.
How is Jarina Harvested?
One of the most remarkable things about jarina is that the harvest requires no cutting, no clearing, and no harm to the palm itself. The fruits fall naturally to the forest floor when they are ripe, and artisan communities collect them from the ground, a process that is entirely sustainable and regenerative.
The palm continues to grow, fruit, and seed year after year. The forest is undisturbed. The community has a renewable source of material that costs nothing but time and knowledge to collect.
This is the kind of relationship with nature that characterizes the communities behind our jewelry. They take what the forest freely gives, and leave everything else intact.
How is Jarina Turned Into Jewelry?
Once collected, the jarina seeds are dried, a process that can take several months as the interior hardens completely. The fully dried seed is then cut, shaped, and polished by hand using simple tools.
Because jarina is so dense, it can be carved into precise shapes, rounds, ovals, teardrops, discs, that hold their form beautifully over time. It takes color exceptionally well too, which is why you'll find jarina beads in rich, vibrant hues across the Amazonia Collection.
The artisans who work with jarina have developed deep knowledge of the material, how to cut it without cracking, how to polish it to its characteristic sheen, how to select seeds with the most consistent color and density. This knowledge is built through years of practice and direct relationship with the material.
Why is Jarina Special?
There are several reasons why jarina stands apart from other jewelry materials:
It is genuinely sustainable. No trees are cut, no animals are harmed, no synthetic processes are involved. The harvest is as low-impact as it gets.
It is lightweight. Despite its density and hardness, jarina is remarkably light to wear, a quality that makes it ideal for necklaces and earrings.
It is unique. Every seed has its own natural variation in color, grain, and texture. No two jarina beads are identical.
It is durable. Properly cared for, jarina jewelry lasts for years. It doesn't fade, crack, or degrade with normal wear.
It tells a story. Jarina has been part of Amazonian artisan traditions for generations. Wearing it is a connection to the communities, the forest, and the sustainable relationship between the two.
Jarina in the Amazonia Collection
At Amazonian Treasures, jarina appears in several pieces across the Amazonia Collection. The Amazon Bloom Jarina Set is one of our most striking, a necklace and earring set featuring colorful jarina and paxiuba beads handcrafted by an independent Amazonian artisan. The Jarina Harmony Necklace showcases the natural, uncolored beauty of the seed, creamy, smooth, and luminous.
Each piece is selected not just for its beauty but for the integrity of its making, the artisan, the material, and the story behind it.
How to Care for Jarina Jewelry
Jarina is durable but natural, so a little care goes a long way:
- Keep it away from prolonged moisture — avoid wearing in the shower or swimming
- Store in a cool, dry place — away from direct sunlight which can fade colored beads over time
- Clean gently with a soft dry cloth
- Avoid harsh chemicals — perfume and cleaning products can affect the surface
With simple care, your jarina pieces will last for years and develop a beautiful natural patina over time.
A Seed Worth Knowing
Jarina is one of those materials that changes the way you think about jewelry. Once you know what it is, a seed that falls freely from a palm in the Amazon, collected by artisan communities who transform it by hand into something beautiful, it becomes impossible to see it as just a bead.
It is a small piece of the forest. A renewable treasure. A reminder that nature offers us extraordinary things when we know how to look.
Explore our Amazonia Collection to discover our jarina pieces and the other extraordinary natural materials that make Brazilian artisan jewelry unlike anything else in the world.
Shop the Amazonia Collection →
Amazonian Treasures is based in Louisville, Kentucky, and curates handcrafted natural jewelry from Indigenous, riverside, quilombola, and independent artisan communities across Brazil. Free U.S. shipping on orders over $90.