Shelling Out …

No need to shell out this month. Enjoy 15% off all jewelry until the end of April – I am hoping that this means you will buy something special for someone special even though Valentine is over!

For March, I have chosen to mix gems of the earth with gems of the sea; faceted, chipped and smooth semiprecious stones with lovely shells to create some unique jewelry pieces. 

Some organic materials are considered semiprecious stones. These include pearls, coral, ivory and amber. I have seen some extraordinary seashells which also seem to fall within the list of rapidly depleting treasures of nature, they are so exceptionally beautiful, I would call them precious, too.  

While pearls are created by sea creatures as a reaction to irritants, shells are created as protection from irritators! A shell is actually the hard, outer covering of animals collectively known as mollusks. 

There are five major groups of mollusks, two of these include squids and octopuses – not very attractive for jewelry I believe! If anyone out there has seen these turned into attractive jewelry, please let me know. Octopuses have no outer shells, while the internal structure of cuttlefish can be used by jewelry designers as moulds. 

The other three groups of shells are more of an interest to shell collectors and jewelry designers; these include Tusk shells - one of the oldest shells used basically because they are already perforated, thanks to Mother Nature, and shaped like little tubes, thus they were just screaming to be threaded up and worn as adornment; Conus shells – the name simply means cone as the shells resemble two cones shaped into one; Bivalves – these basically have two parts, thus the name, and they come from clams, oysters, mussels and scallops. 

The final group is named Cowry shells - the English name comes from the Hindi “kauri” which is generally used as a noun for shells in general. Cowries have been used as beads for ages; they were even used as money for thousands of years in China, and as small change in Bengal. Interestingly, shell jewelry, like bead jewelry, denoted social status and wealth within certain cultures. 

I found it interesting to discover that when Marco Polo saw these shells in use, he named them porcellana, which is Italian for “little pigs,” because of their shape. Later when Chinese ceramics entered Europe, their smooth, white surfaces reminded people of “porcellana” or little pig shells, and so ceramics came to be called porcelain. The shape of these beads had other meaning as well: they were considered powerful in ensuring female fertility, and they were also thought to ward off the Evil Eye … I just had to stop and wonder, is there a connection somewhere in all of this?

Enjoy  …

(To read previous newsletters, please click here) 

Email me

Please email me for custom orders! For wedding and special occasions, I can create something special for you.

Use the online catalogue The Treasure Chest Collection as a source of inspiration for custom orders. Try combining your choice of choker/necklace from The Treasure Chest Collection with your choice of colors from the Theme Box, to order something truly unique, created especially for you.

Don't forget to have a look at Bracelets & Anklets, a collection of semiprecious and crystal bracelets and anklets.

Please place your order by sending me an email at fadwa-wm@fadwa.com (see Ordering information page for more details).

If you want to know more about me, or you need additional contact information, see the About Designer page.

Please remember

Each of jewelry in this gallery is handmade, and as such, may vary slightly from the pictures.

Quantities are very limited and subject to bead availability.

Enjoy! And thank you for visiting.

Fadwa