Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer

Left: This cute-as-a-button necklace set is actually made with pumpkin seeds. Are we getting any ideas yet? This goes for $700.   Right: Need a massage? Try the versatile tagua seed in a cluster that feels so good on any body part that's tense.

Why spend a fortune on diamonds and pearls when melon and pumpkin seeds, coffee and John Crow beads, bark, husk and branches can be fashioned into equally beautiful and less costly jewellery?

Colombian craftsmen Freddy Diaz, Julian Aguillon an Edison Giraldo use seeds, beans, shells and other plant-based material to make adornments for the neck, ears, wrists and ankles, that are just as attractive as any factory-made diamond ring, and probably even more 'precious' in terms of human value.

At the recently concluded Global Discovery Trade Show, held at the Jamaica Conference Centre, their booth, filled with colourful wares hanging overhead and dripping off the walls, was heavily patronised as the ladies flocked their catalogue of handcrafted jewellery. Other booths sold silver and gold jewellery, but those could not compare with their original pieces that showed evidence of ingenuity, innate creativity and just plain beauty. Apart from their plant-based adornments, they also sold jewellery fashioned from their handmade glass as well as colourful beads and semi-precious stones.

It was a lovely treat to purchase a little piece of Colombian creativity at the Jamaica Conference Centre, rather than purchasing home items that can be found in our local stores anyway.