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Kauai Purple Cowrie Shell Necklace
$150.00
Kauai Purple Cowrie Shell Necklace. This beautiful and unique Kauai Purple Cowry Shell Necklace consists of an authentic Kauai Purple Cowrie Shell pendant that is handwoven into a beautiful necklace that’s strong and Island Chic. Accented with Kauai Puka Shells. Beach-inspired jewelry that’s stunning and strong. This necklace pairs nicely with our Puka Shell Bracelets and/or our Puka Shell Anklets. Necklaces are made to withstand outdoor activities and are water-friendly.
All shells are found on Kauai, Hawaii. They are all hand-picked and have been carefully chosen to create beautiful and unique jewelry that can be worn as a forever piece. Each piece of our jewelry is a work of art that is unique to Kauai Hawaii. Aloha!
Available lengths: 16″, 18″, 20″
PHOTOS ARE FOR EXAMPLE PURPOSES ONLY!
Your jewelry will vary slightly due to the unique nature of shells, pearls, and/or gemstones.
Cowrie Shells:
Cowrie or cowry (plural cowries) is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.
The term porcelain derives from the old Italian term for the cowrie shell (porcellana) due to their similar appearance. Shells of certain species have historically been used as currency in several parts of the world, as well as being used, in the past and present, very extensively in jewelry, and for other decorative and ceremonial purposes.
The cowrie was the shell most widely used worldwide as shell money. It is most abundant in the Indian Ocean and was collected in the Maldive Islands, in Sri Lanka, along the Malabar coast India, in Borneo and on other East Indian islands, and in various parts of the African coast from Ras Hafun to Mozambique. Cowrie shell money was important in the trade networks of Africa, South Asia, and East Asia.
Some species in the family Ovulidae are also often referred to as cowries. In the British Isles the local Trivia species (family Triviidae, species Trivia monacha, and Trivia arctica) are sometimes called cowries. The Ovulidae and the Triviidae are somewhat closely related to Cypraeidae.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowrie (opens in a new window)
Puka Shells:
Puka shells originally were naturally occurring bead-like objects which can be found on some beaches in Hawaii. Each one was the beach-worn apex of a cone snail shell, a kind of seashell from a sea snail. Puka is the Hawaiian word for “hole” and refers to the naturally occurring hole in the middle of these rounded and worn shell fragments. These natural beads were made into necklaces.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puka_shell
Read more about Puka Shells by using the “About Puka Shells” tab.
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About Puka Shells - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puka_shell
Puka shells originally were naturally occurring bead-like objects which could be found on some beaches in Hawaii. These were beach worn pieces of cone snail shells, a kind of seashell. Puka is the Hawaiian word for "hole" and refers to the naturally occurring hole in the middle of these rounded shell fragments.
Numerous inexpensive imitations are now widely sold however, the majority of which are not made from cone shells but from other shells or even from plastic. Some strings of beads are currently sold that are made from cone shells, but the majority of these have been worked by hand with pliers from whole shells and then subjected to some tumble finishing, instead of being formed entirely by natural processes.
The original puka shell beads were very easily made into necklaces, bracelets, and anklets because they already had a natural hole which enabled them to be strung like beads. Puka shell jewelry first became popular in Hawaii during the 1960s as an attractive and inexpensive lei which could be made quickly and sold right on the beach where it was fashioned. In the 1970s, they became highly sought, and the prices skyrocketed. The craftsmanship also became more refined and the lei pupu puka, puka shell lei, were strung in graduated or matching styles, rather than the original random patterns. Many "legends" of the puka shell were created during this time, which helped sales.
Natural puka shell formation
The shell of a cone snail is cone-shaped and closed at the larger end. When the dead shell is rolled for a long time by the waves in the breaking surf and coral rubble, the narrow end of the shell breaks off or is gradually ground off, leaving only the more solid top of the shell intact.
Given enough time, the tip of the spire of the shell usually also wears down, and thus a natural hole is formed from one side to the other. This shell fragment can be considered to be a sort of a natural bead, and is known as a "puka". Real puka shells are not flat: one side of the bead is slightly convex, the other concave. The concave side of the bead clearly shows the spiral form of the interior of the spire of the cone shell.
About Puka Shell Necklaces
Hawaiians typically give puka necklaces to wish the recipient goodwill or good luck. If given to a sailor, a puka necklace is supposed to help bring him home safely.
Puka Shells for Good Luck
Finding puka shells is good luck. The more perfectly symmetrical the shell, the better your luck will be.
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