Vegetable ivory

{{{annotations}}}

Tagua nuts before carving
Anticlockwise from right:

1. With pericarp
2. With brown skin
3. Without brown skin, partially sectioned to show hollow
4. Without brown skin, whole

Vegetable ivory or tagua nut is a product made from the very hard white endosperm of the seeds of certain palm trees. Vegetable ivory is named for its resemblance to animal ivory. Vegetable ivory is naturally white with a fine marbled grain structure. It can be dyed; dyeing often brings out the grain. It is still commonly used in buttons, jewelry, and artistic carving.