Ilala pendant

This pendant is made from a thin slice of vegetable ivory, the tagua nut, a seed from the ilala palm. The outer brown shell of the seed is left on, and a naturally occurring central hole is reworked to form a wider circle. Using black jeweller’s grout, the circle is then set with micro mosaic glass, and beads and stone chips. This gives the pendant a freestyle patterned centre. The pendant is strung on cotton cord.