The Seed Factory

Pin made out of the Tagua seeds

Over spring break, we went to the seed factory. The seed factory used to be a button factory. Buttons used to be made out of wood, shell, bone, ivory, and tagua seeds. When we got there, we got to look around at all the jewelry and things made

Tagua seeds

Button Machine

from the seeds for a bit, then we got to go on the tour.

First we went down a few flights of stairs to where they cut the seeds (someone delivers the seeds all shelled and ready, so they don't have to do that). The seeds are very hard, so it is hard to cut them. They also made a lot of dust.

Next we went to the connecting room to seed the big mixers that mix the cut seeds and sand together to make them smooth. After they are smooth, the tagua seed is mixed with little ceramic stones to make the seeds shiny. Sometimes they aren't mixed with the stones, so the seeds are still dull, but smooth.

We went upstairs to the break room, where they had a few colorful birds from the forest.

After the break room, we saw the button machines. They still use them for putting holes in the seeds, and for making a few buttons.

Pots of dye

Next we saw how they dye them. The seeds' original color is white. They put them in little pots of hot, colored water for hours. If they wanted a design on a seed, then they had to draw designs with a special glue, then put the tagua in the color they wanted. The glue would block that part from getting any color. After it was done getting colored, someone had to scrape off all the glue, which took about ten minutes per seed.

Scraping off glue 

After getting colored, the seeds were sent to the room where they were made into jewelry. Each country designs their own jewelry, then the factory puts it all together and ships it to them.