We use many different types of wood, and none of them are banned or illegally harvested from rainforests. We believe that using endangered trees and deforestation is a serious crime. Therefore, we always give something back when we use wood: this is a 2:1 policy. For every tree we use for our jewelry, two new trees are planted. In this way, we want to ensure that our world and environment are preserved and that the damage caused by greenhouse gases is reduced. Below is a list with information about the different types of wood we use:

(Two-tone) ARANG WOOD

Scientific name: Diospyros Confertiflora
Arang can be translated as charcoal wood or wood charcoal. Charcoal wood comes in two varieties: it is a naturally black wood or two-toned, black and brown. Arang wood is extremely hard and is therefore sometimes called ironwood, but it is not true ironwood. Farmers are reluctant to plant it because it takes many years to mature. The charcoal wood we use for our organic piercings and jewelry is recycled. Our workshops purchase miles of railway track in Java and other parts of Indonesia for this purpose. These railway tracks were built by the Netherlands over 100 years ago and are being replaced by modern tracks.

(Black) ARANG WOOD

Black Arang kayo (translation: charcoal) is the central part of the Arang tree and is even harder than the two-colored Arang kayo. We obtain black Arang wood in the same way as the two-colored wood.

BAMBOO

Scientific name: Bambuseae

We mention bamboo among the woods because most people think of it as a type of wood, even though it's actually a type of grass. Bamboo is a hard material, however, and therefore not so easy to carve and shape, which is why we don't have many organic bamboo jewelry pieces. Since bamboo is very fast-growing and environmentally friendly, we hope to be able to produce more from this material soon.

COCONUT SHELL

Scientific name: Cocos Nucifera

Coconut shells are one of our top choices for making organic jewelry, due to their strength and amazing processing possibilities. Furthermore, as a product of the coconut industry, they are one of the most environmentally friendly raw materials available.

CROCODILE WOOD

Scientific name: Zanthoxylum rhetsa

This exceptionally beautiful, very light-colored wood is easy to carve. It is of medium hardness and also has a remarkably smooth finish when properly polished. For this reason, and because of its similar color, crocodile wood has often been called the ivory of the forest. The name crocodile wood comes from the tooth-like, knobby projections on the tree trunk, which resemble the armor of a crocodile. Crocodile wood grows naturally in subtropical regions worldwide. We use only cultivated crocodile wood.

JACKFRUIT WOOD

Scientific name: Artocarpus heterophyllus

Jackfruit wood is very hard and durable and resists cracking. It is initially lemon-yellow and darkens to brown with age; in our jewelry, it ranges from yellow to ochre in color. The fruit itself is considered a delicacy by locals and a stink bomb by others.

MANGO WOOD

Scientific name: Mangifera indica

Mango wood is a byproduct of mango harvesting. The mango tree originates from India, but today it can also be found in Central and South America, Thailand, and other regions. Mango wood is relatively light, dense, and therefore strong and durable. Because it is a byproduct, it is very sustainable and environmentally friendly. Mango wood feels hard and smooth and displays a distinctive grain in a light, natural brown. However, a dark brown mottled grain is also known.

NARRAHOLZ

Scientific name: Pterocarpus indicus

There are two types of Narra wood; one is a delicate chocolate brown. We use the second type, the exquisite dark brown Narra wood. Narra wood possesses the same strength and durability as the famous ebony. It is cultivated in many parts of Indonesia and is not endangered.

PALM WOOD, COCONUT WOOD

Scientific name: Cocos Nucifera

Palm wood and coconut wood both come from the same coconut-bearing palm tree. The only difference between the two is the age of the palm. The lighter of the two, the younger version of the tree, is what we call coconut wood. The darker wood is the older variety, called palm wood. These two wood varieties produce uniquely textured, organic pieces of jewelry, which we polish to bring out the distinctive and decorative natural grain of stripes and dots. We like to use this wood because the palm tree grows widely throughout Southeast Asia and at an astonishing rate. We source coconut wood and palm wood from coconut plantations.

SAWO WOOD

Scientific name: Manilkara zapota

Sawo wood is sometimes referred to as a mysterious wood (hopefully our facts can shed some light on this reddish-brown wood). Its characteristic feature is its reddish-orange color. Sawo wood is easy to carve, even intricate designs, into organic jewelry. Originally from South America, sawo is cultivated in Asia. We use sawo wood cultivated in Southeast Asia.

(Dark) TAMARIND WOOD

Scientific name: Tamarindus indica

There are two types of tamarind wood: Dark Tamarind and Light Tamarind.
Dark tamarind wood is a dark reddish-brown wood that we like to use. The surface becomes very glossy and shimmers when the piercings are moved in sunlight.

(LIGHT) TAMARIND WOOD

The light tamarind wood is a very light wood with many dark, almost black grains that run randomly crisscrossing across the wood.

Tamarind wood is native to Africa but is also cultivated in many parts of Southeast Asia. We use only this cultivated tamarind wood from plantations for jewelry making.

TEAK

Scientific name: Tectona grandis

Our teak comes from northern Thailand, where farmers have been cultivating teak trees for many years under government supervision. Ten years ago, the Thai government subsidized farmers growing teak in northern Thailand. Now, after ten years, these farmers unfortunately no longer receive support and have hardly any opportunities to sell these subsidized teak trees. We can help by purchasing this teak. This is not golden teak, as golden teak comes almost exclusively from protected forests.

OLIVE WOOD

Scientific name: Olea europaea

Olive wood possesses a wonderful natural color and grain, ranging from light beige to light brown with a dark brown to black grain running through the wood. Olive wood is very easy to work with and has a particularly smooth surface. Its scent is reminiscent of ripe olives. Our olive wood comes from Italian olive groves. It was sourced from trees that had become too old for olive production and were therefore felled and replaced with new olive trees.