Natural MaterialsMost of our range is made either fully or partly from natural materials. Here are some details concerning many of them. Coconut PalmThe coconut palm is a large palm tree which can grow to 30 metres tall. It is grown throughout the tropical world and is a versitile natural material with the fruit, i.e. the coconut, being used for many culinary purposes, and the husk, together with the leaves, bark and wood being used for a variety of purposes. Nearly all parts of the tree are useful, in Malaysia it is known as the tree of a thousand uses and in the Philippines it is commonly known as the Tree of Life.Coffee BeansThe coffee bean is the seed of the coffee plant. There are many species of coffee plant; the most common being coffea arabica.It is the cherry or fruit which contains the beans. There are usually two beans but sometimes only one which is then called a peaberry. Beans are made mainly of endosperm which contains the caffeine. For the purposes of jewellery however, it is the beauty of the beans that is highly regarded, so don't go pulling off the coffee beans from your necklace or earrings if you fancy a cuppa! Cowrie ShellsCowrie or cowry is the common name for the shells of sea snails. The shells are usually egg shaped, shiny and porcelain like which makes them favoured for jewellery and decorative purposes. They are found worldwide in tropical and sub-tropical seas.GemstonesGemstones, also known as precious or semi-precious stones, are usually made from minerals which when cut and polished are used to make jewellery etc. Some rocks such as lapis-lazuli and organic materials such as amber are not minerals but tend to be classed as gemstones too. Gemstones are classified into different groups and varieties and are prized for their beauty, rarity and aesthetics. Many gemstones are also attributed with healing and mystical properties. For example, in India, moonstone is believed to bring good fortune and is a prized gift for lovers as it is thought to arouse tender passion. Amethyst or quartz is seen as the symbol of sincerity, serenity and peace of mindJuteJute is made from bast fibre which is a long, soft fibre composed mainly of cellulose. This fibre comes from plants in the genus Corchorus, which are farmed using traditional methods in India and Bangladesh. The fibres are spun into coarse, strong threads. It is very durable, for example, a jute bag has the lifespan of over 1000 plastic bags. Jute is a very valuable natural material as it is non-polluting and is totally biodegradable. It is also an extremely useful material in that it is not only renewable and sustainable, but also provides employment and income for 5 million people in India and Bangladesh.Mother of PearlMother of pearl, also known as nacre, is the composite material produced by some molluscs. It is a very favoured material because not only is it beautiful, being iridescent, but is also extremely strong and resilient so making it a good material to work with.PandanasPandanas leaves come from the pandanus plant, also known as the screw pine, which varies in size ranging from small shrubs to trees up to 20 metres tall. The pandan leaves are dried and then often used for weaving into textiles.Paua ShellPaua is the Maori name given to three species of sea snail (haliotid) which are found in New Zealand, the three species are: silver paua, paua, and virgin paua. Of these paua is the most common and grows up to 18cm in length. They are found in shallow coastal waters along rocky shoreline. The Maori have traditionally prized them both as a food source and for the use of the shell for jewellery and crafts. The interior of the shell is iridescent and is usually of intense green, purple and blue, though sometimes pink too.StrawStraw is the byproduct of the harvesting of cereal plants such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. Roughly half of the yield of a crop will be straw. It may be a byproduct but straw has many uses including bedding for livestock and thatch for roofing. Because straw is pliable and durable it also has many decorative uses. In addition, because when it is woven it is very stable and sturdy it is excellent for making baskets and bags etc. Being a totally natural plant fibre it is also totally biodegradeable.
|
