These necklaces are carved out of vegetable ivory or tagua in Ecuador. Tagua nuts come from the female Tagua Palm (Phytelephas aequatorialis) which grows wild in the rainforests of Ecuador and other Latin American countries.  When the nuts are polished they have the same characteristics as ivory, which is why the tagua nut is also known as "vegetable ivory." These necklaces measure approximately 60cm in length when they are not done up.