“Jewelry-making,” Adriana notes, “has been an artistic expression since the dawn of civilization, and it is a way of life for many women going through difficult times.” In Adriana’s case, jewelry is an opportunity to reflect the values that connect her with her children and her constant awe for nature, but her jewelry also allows her to help many people in need. When people buy her pieces, they are helping support a community program for women and children displaced by the violence in South America.
Adriana’s jewelry is environmentally sustainable as well. Her pieces are made from tagua, also called ivory nut, a seed almost indistinguishable from animal ivory. Ivory nut, however, unlike animal ivory, is a renewable and sustainable product. The palms that produce ivory nut are found along the Amazon. Nuts fall to the ground, then dried and dyed. Ivory nuts help prevent deforestation, and they help support the employment of nearly 35,000 people in the rainforests.
Ivory nut in husk
Ivory nut
Dyed ivory nuts
Collecting fallen seeds
Tagua palms
By combining design and fashion, with awareness about the environment and care for others, Adriana is able to use her art to contribute to a better world. She is always looking for other women to join her endeavor, either by organizing jewelry parties, being reps, or adding her pieces as part of their collection. To learn more about the programs Adriana's art helps to support, and to see more pictures of nut ivory and the beautiful jewelry Adriana creates from it, visit her website Nut Ivory (http://www.nutivory.com/).
