Categories
- Organic Plugs
- Earlets & Tunnels
- Crescents & Curves
- Spirals & Coils
- Hanging Styles
- Organic Earrings
- Labrets/Lip Plugs
- Spikes & Tusks
- Unique/Rare
- Organic Pendants
- Ear Stretching/Care
- Gift Cards
- Lifestyle
- Books & Reference
- Custom Jewelry
- Current Specials
- Newest Products
- View All Products
- Product Reviews
Sizes
Materials Information
A breakdown of all of the materials we commonly utilize for making natural body jewelry. Includes plant and animal material information by geographic location, species and physical information with photographs where applicable.
This information is provided as a reference for materials used by Onetribe to create natural jewelry. This document will be continually updated as we source new materials and improve available information for existing ones. This document was researched and written by Jared Karnes of Onetribe LLC and may not be reproduced or used in any form, digitally or otherwise, without express written permission. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Animal materials: Horn, bone, antler, tusk, ivory, tooth and quill. [Care FAQ for animal materials]
Domesticated Water Buffalo Horn/Bone
Bubalus Bubalis
Indonesia
The water buffalo is an animal used exclusively throughout Asia for food resource and farm work. In addition to providing meat and milk for many cultures, the water buffalo are utilized for the task of plowing and maintenance of rice patties which help feed millions of people. Their specialized hooves and fondness for water allow them to trudge through ancient deep mud paddies inaccessible by modernized farm equipment. The water buffalo are a very important part of society because of this, and they are respected and held in high regard as a result. Buffalo horn and bone are used widely throughout Asia for craft purposes and are considered a byproduct of the food and farm trades. No animals are ever harmed specifically to obtain materials.
North American Moose Antler
Alces alces
United States, Canada
Moose are the largest members of the deer family, growing up to 6.5ft in shoulder height. Moose shed their antlers yearly to save energy for the winter. In the approximately five months of spring antler growth a male moose will experience, the antler rack may reach nearly six feet across. This animal is hunted in some regions of North America, but the vast majority of the antler that we use for making jewelry is found as shed racks.
Deer Antler
Worldwide Range
Numerous Species
Deer can be found in virtually every country, on every continent in the world except for Antarctica and Australia. These mammals grow antler racks of various size which shed yearly. Deer are widely hunted throughout the world as game animals, and sometimes domesticated and raised for food. The vast majority of the antler that we use for making jewelry is found as shed racks, although we have accepted donations from friends and family that hunt.
Porcupine Quills
Erethizon dorsatum, Hystrix Africaeaustralis
North America, Africa
The Porcupine is one of the world's largest rodents, unique because they have sharp quills to help defend themselves from predators. The two populations of these animals from which we utilize quills are located in Northwestern North America and regions of Africa. North American porcupines are the smaller of the two varieties, growing between 2ft and 3.5ft in length, and having thousands of smaller quills (1" to 3") across the rear of their bodies. These quills have small barbs on the ends and detach easily which enable them to embed into an attackers flesh. Porcupines have very poor eyesight and short life spans in the wild. This combined with the fact that they are considered pests in some areas due to their fondness for salt, which can lead them into populated areas to gnaw on processed woods and man made objects, means that they are introduced to hazards such as cars and can become easily injured or killed. African porcupines differ from their North American counterparts in that they are larger animals and their quills are considerably larger (3" to 8").
Plant materials: Hardwoods, Nuts (Tagua, Coconut and others), Grasses (Bamboo). [Care FAQ for plant materials]
Bloodwood (alt Satine)
Brosimum rubescens
South America
A heavy, copper-red to deep red exotic hardwood with an extremely smooth grain and overall texture. Finished wood can take on a silky deep red glow.
Ebony
Diospyros crassiflora
Africa
A primarily black, extremely dense wood. Smooth, straight grain with periodic gray-brown to brown streaking. Can be finished to an almost plastic-like shiny appearance.
European Boxwood
Buxus sempervirens
Europe
A generally straight grained, hard and heavy wood with a yellow coloring, sometimes with small areas of gray-black interspersed throughout. Dense and extremely smooth finishing.
Katalox
Swartzia cubensis
Mexico
A very dense, heavy wood sometimes used as a sustainable alternative to Ebony. Heartwood is purple-brown to dark brown, sapwood is yellow. Oiling and age can make this wood appear very dark brown to black.
Narra Burl
Pterocarpus indicus
Southeast Asia
A relatively dense, fragrant and very colorful figured wood. Heartwood is generally varying shades of red-orange with sapwood yellow. Contains a great deal of figure and eyes, sometimes found with extremely striking two or three tone patterns.
Olivewood
Olea Europaea / Olea Hochstetteri
Europe, Africa
A smooth, fine grained and oily wood that is generally pale brown with irregular markings and streaks brown-grey to black in color. European (or "Holy Land") Olive is a smaller tree, and the wood is generally a byproduct of the olive oil industry. We also periodically source this wood from domestic private groves in the western United States, including burls of extremely high quality.
Pink Ivory
Rhamnus zeyheri
Africa
Very dense and quite heavy. One of the rarest, most interestingly colored woods in the world. Grades can range from light pastel pink with yellowish streaking to an intense solid pink color. Finishes to an impeccable sheen.
Redheart
Erythroxylon Mexicanum
Mexico
A bold and interesting looking hardwood, bright red when cut, sometimes fading to a deeper red/red-brown with age.
Tiger Ebony
Diospyros embryopteris
Southeast Asia
A rare, visually exciting hardwood. Creamy yellowish heartwood with striking black streaking or spotting. Ranges from a great deal of figure and nearly reversed (black with yellow figure) to nearly completely blonde.
Zebrawood
Microberlinia brazzavillensis
Africa
A hard wood with a quite course texture in comparison to other exotics, but finishes smooth. Alternating stripes of tan to light brown and brown-black stripes create pattern similar to Zebra stripes. Finishes smooth, but generally matte in appearance due to grain character.
Animal materials: Horn, bone, antler, tusk, ivory, tooth and quill. [Care FAQ for animal materials]
Domesticated Water Buffalo Horn/Bone
Bubalus Bubalis
Indonesia
The water buffalo is an animal used exclusively throughout Asia for food resource and farm work. In addition to providing meat and milk for many cultures, the water buffalo are utilized for the task of plowing and maintenance of rice patties which help feed millions of people. Their specialized hooves and fondness for water allow them to trudge through ancient deep mud paddies inaccessible by modernized farm equipment. The water buffalo are a very important part of society because of this, and they are respected and held in high regard as a result. Buffalo horn and bone are used widely throughout Asia for craft purposes and are considered a byproduct of the food and farm trades. No animals are ever harmed specifically to obtain materials.
North American Moose Antler
Alces alces
United States, Canada
Moose are the largest members of the deer family, growing up to 6.5ft in shoulder height. Moose shed their antlers yearly to save energy for the winter. In the approximately five months of spring antler growth a male moose will experience, the antler rack may reach nearly six feet across. This animal is hunted in some regions of North America, but the vast majority of the antler that we use for making jewelry is found as shed racks.
Deer Antler
Worldwide Range
Numerous Species
Deer can be found in virtually every country, on every continent in the world except for Antarctica and Australia. These mammals grow antler racks of various size which shed yearly. Deer are widely hunted throughout the world as game animals, and sometimes domesticated and raised for food. The vast majority of the antler that we use for making jewelry is found as shed racks, although we have accepted donations from friends and family that hunt.
Porcupine Quills
Erethizon dorsatum, Hystrix Africaeaustralis
North America, Africa
The Porcupine is one of the world's largest rodents, unique because they have sharp quills to help defend themselves from predators. The two populations of these animals from which we utilize quills are located in Northwestern North America and regions of Africa. North American porcupines are the smaller of the two varieties, growing between 2ft and 3.5ft in length, and having thousands of smaller quills (1" to 3") across the rear of their bodies. These quills have small barbs on the ends and detach easily which enable them to embed into an attackers flesh. Porcupines have very poor eyesight and short life spans in the wild. This combined with the fact that they are considered pests in some areas due to their fondness for salt, which can lead them into populated areas to gnaw on processed woods and man made objects, means that they are introduced to hazards such as cars and can become easily injured or killed. African porcupines differ from their North American counterparts in that they are larger animals and their quills are considerably larger (3" to 8").
Plant materials: Hardwoods, Nuts (Tagua, Coconut and others), Grasses (Bamboo). [Care FAQ for plant materials]
Bloodwood (alt Satine)
Brosimum rubescens
South America
A heavy, copper-red to deep red exotic hardwood with an extremely smooth grain and overall texture. Finished wood can take on a silky deep red glow.
Ebony
Diospyros crassiflora
Africa
A primarily black, extremely dense wood. Smooth, straight grain with periodic gray-brown to brown streaking. Can be finished to an almost plastic-like shiny appearance.
European Boxwood
Buxus sempervirens
Europe
A generally straight grained, hard and heavy wood with a yellow coloring, sometimes with small areas of gray-black interspersed throughout. Dense and extremely smooth finishing.
Katalox
Swartzia cubensis
Mexico
A very dense, heavy wood sometimes used as a sustainable alternative to Ebony. Heartwood is purple-brown to dark brown, sapwood is yellow. Oiling and age can make this wood appear very dark brown to black.
Narra Burl
Pterocarpus indicus
Southeast Asia
A relatively dense, fragrant and very colorful figured wood. Heartwood is generally varying shades of red-orange with sapwood yellow. Contains a great deal of figure and eyes, sometimes found with extremely striking two or three tone patterns.
Olivewood
Olea Europaea / Olea Hochstetteri
Europe, Africa
A smooth, fine grained and oily wood that is generally pale brown with irregular markings and streaks brown-grey to black in color. European (or "Holy Land") Olive is a smaller tree, and the wood is generally a byproduct of the olive oil industry. We also periodically source this wood from domestic private groves in the western United States, including burls of extremely high quality.
Pink Ivory
Rhamnus zeyheri
Africa
Very dense and quite heavy. One of the rarest, most interestingly colored woods in the world. Grades can range from light pastel pink with yellowish streaking to an intense solid pink color. Finishes to an impeccable sheen.
Redheart
Erythroxylon Mexicanum
Mexico
A bold and interesting looking hardwood, bright red when cut, sometimes fading to a deeper red/red-brown with age.
Tiger Ebony
Diospyros embryopteris
Southeast Asia
A rare, visually exciting hardwood. Creamy yellowish heartwood with striking black streaking or spotting. Ranges from a great deal of figure and nearly reversed (black with yellow figure) to nearly completely blonde.
Zebrawood
Microberlinia brazzavillensis
Africa
A hard wood with a quite course texture in comparison to other exotics, but finishes smooth. Alternating stripes of tan to light brown and brown-black stripes create pattern similar to Zebra stripes. Finishes smooth, but generally matte in appearance due to grain character.