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Frequently Asked Questions

PRODUCT INFORMATION

What is Corozo?

Also known as tagua, corozo is a species of tropical palm found in northwest South America, starting north of Peru, all throughout Ecuador and Colombia, and southern Panama. The palm produces large fruits which contain seeds that are carefully collected, processed and used to make everything from artisanal figurines to high quality buttons.

Is corozo sourcing sustainable?

Absolutely. corozo seeds can be collected only after they naturally fall from the palm. otherwise they are not ripe enough for button production. Corozo palms only grow in the wild, most often in areas unsuitable for normal farming and therefore corozo production does not lead to deforestation as many other types of farming does.

How does corozo production affect local economies?

Corozo grows most commonly in remote areas of higher elevation. The process required to gather and transform these seeds from their original form into raw material is relatively simple, but it involves many steps. People with relatively little training can gather, prepare, dry, peel, cut, turn, grade and transport the seeds. Our process, which requires over five hundred thousand pounds of seeds every month, generates over one thousand full-time and part-time low-skill labor jobs in depressed and impoverished communities. These jobs help the communities to grow economically and prosper and, consequently, our button production increases the quality of life for the residents.

Why use corozo?

Corozo is easy to cut and dye, yet very durable making it an ideal material to use for button production. It can be engraved with laser, cut, pressed, heated, burned, tinted, and polished to extraordinarily bright finishes. After these treatments, the final appearance can be breathtaking. It is also a natural, eco-friendly material and has a lower cost than most other natural alternatives, especially horn and MOP.

Are your products eco friendly?

All of our products are 100% natural and eco-friendly. They contain no toxic chemicals or heavy metals. Our dyes are all plant based and also certified to be non-toxic. We only use 100% genuine, raw corozo without any additional processing.

Do you have any certifications?

We are OEKO-TEX Certified and the products we use are also all approved for use under strict European regulations.

Does corozo require special care?

At a microscopic level, corozo is composed of very tightly wound fibers. Therefore, articles made of corozo are naturally durable, with excellent scratch, heat, impact and weather resistance. Clothing with corozo buttons can be machine washed, steamed, dry cleaned and even ironed with no harmful effects. Corozo is, however, a porous material that should not be submerged underwater for extended periods of time (24 hours or longer) as some warping may occur.

What is corozo grain or vein?

As the natural process of germination occurs, changes in the speed and density of seed formation create layers with subtly different densities. Because buttons are made from seed slices, these layers, with their beautiful, fingerprint-like patterns, are often visible.

Will dyed corozo chip, scratch or fade?

No, because of the superior dyeing process we use, the buttons absorb the color several millimeters below the surface. That means the colors of our buttons will not run or get scraped off with a scratch.

Are Corozo Buttons Expensive?

Corozo is not expensive when compared to other high-end, natural materials. It is cheaper than mother of pearl, horn, bone, and others. It is generally more expensive than wood and coconut.

ORDERS AND RETURNS

How Do I place an order? Distributors?

Please visit our "How to Order" page by clicking HERE

We sell directly to our customers and do not have distributors or show rooms abroad.

What is your MOQ? Samples?

Our minimum (MOQ) is 10 gross (1440 pieces) per model-size combination (item). In addition, while many services such as custom DTM dyeing, custom polishing, and quality control are included within the base price, there are other services that are add-ons such as laser engraving and special effects. MCQ is 144 pieces. First two custom colors are free, each additional custom color development is $7.

Sampling is available, please contact us for more information

What are your lead times?

2 Weeks for custom orders and 1 week for in stock items. Transit time is generally between 1 and 5 business days.

Where do you ship?

We ship worldwide via various couriers. You may also schedule your own pickup, but we suggest using our services instead. Our prices are FOB Panama and do not include any additional duties or fees that may be charged by customs of the destination country. Please check with your local customs office if there are any additional duties or import taxes.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept several forms of payment including Credit Card, Zelle, ACH, Wire, and Bank draft. Payment must be made in full before orders ship.

What is your return policy?

If you are returning an item for any reason whatsoever, we require that you return it within 14 days after you receive the merchandise. We inspect all returned items upon their arrival at our place of business.

If you are returning an item because of an error we have committed, we will refund the full cost of the merchandise and all shipping charges.

If you wish to exchange items you purchased from us for some reason other than our error, you may also do so, at your expense, within 14 days of the date of your receipt of the purchase. We only accept exchanges on non-personalized items. Shipping charges for exchanges are the responsibility of the customer.

MISCELLANEOUS

Can I order natural buttons and dye them myself?

Yes, you can purchase buttons in natural and then dye them yourself. However, we do not recommend that. Dyeing corozo is a very complicated process that takes much training and experience, as well as the right ingredients in the right quantities.

Where are the buttons produced?

Production is done entirely in-house at our Panama City, Panama facility.

Do you sell raw corozo blanks?

While it is not our main line of business, we often do sell corozo blanks from our stock, but they are subject to availability. We are able to source the blanks for you, but we need prepayment [no hyphen] or a guarantee of payment ahead of time. Please contact us for more information.

Can you make or source non-button items?

We can make or source many non-button corozo items, please contact us for further information.

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