1 oz. Peruvian SMALL HUAYRURO MACHO SEEDS, Drilled V
Click photo for enlargement.
Native Americans throughout the Amazon basin have long used the seeds and nuts of a variety of trees and plants to make necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry. This one-ounce lot includes about 250 small seeds of the Amazonian huayruro plant (Ormosia spp.). All are red with a black spot (O. amazonicas), called huayruro macho and considered "male" in contrast to the solid red variety (O. macrocalyx), huayruro hembra, considered "female." Both varieties are popular beading seeds in Peru. They are reputed to promote health and to bring luck to their wearers. These huayruros have an irregular barrel shape. Huayruros are commonly graded into three sizes, though because they are natural seeds, their size varies somewhat within the grades. Those of this lot average roughly 6 x 4 x 4 mm. The holes are drilled vertically, through the middle of the seeds, and are small, about 1 mm in diameter.
