I absolutely adore how these buttons fool the eye. They look like cowrie shells, but they're hand-carved from bone so no cowries were harmed in the making of these buttons. Bone is, of course, more durable than cowrie shells; that'll be especially useful in these buttons.

Hand-carved in Nepal, each button is unique and special. Bring a fair trade flair to your garments or crafts, with these special creations. About .75 inches long each, the buttons look simultaneously dainty and substantial. (How? I'm really not sure -- they just do!)

The bones are sourced from small-scale food industries -- if a family has one or two food animals, every part is used when they are slaughtered, including the bones which are turned into buttons for us. We've decided to carry these particular bone buttons because we truly believe that they meet our definition of sustainability: they're created on a small scale by subsistence workers who are being fairly compensated and well treated; the animals they come from have lived their lives as essentially part of the family instead of living in a factory farm and every part of their bodies are used once they are killed.

The buttons themselves are made in a small factory in a woman-owned business. After leaving her abusive husband, and with two small children, the owner first found a job as an illiterate maid, learned English and German from the family she worked for, and then became the first female rickshaw driver in Nepal. She started designing and carving horn, having always had an interest in handicrafts, and eventually opened a business in which she employs other people who otherwise might not have had a chance. Purchasing these buttons can make a definite difference in the lives of the crafters and their families.

Consider washing these buttons in mild detergent. As always, washing any items with buttons inside-out can minimize wear and tear on the buttons.