Old Large NATIVE AMERICAN NAVAJO PURPLE SPINY OYSTER STERLING SILVER EARRINGS For Sale

This is an incredible Navajo shell silver earrings. These earrings are absolutely amazing as each earring consists of two beautiful large hexagon shaped purple spiny oyster shell and orange spiny oyster The earrings alone measure around 2"½tall  The earrings weigh around 16.4 grams. No marks but tested as sterling silver great addition to your collection Not only are Spiny Oyster shells beautiful to look at, but some people believe they offer strength and protection, emotional healing, and balance. Spiny oyster has been used by Native Americans since pre-historic times, unlike red coral, which was harvested in the Mediterranean and introduced by Europeans. Spiny oyster is found in all types of Native American jewelry. Santo Domingo jewelry makers, such as renowned artisan Delbert Crespin, are especially known for inlay onto the spiny oyster shell.

Like Mediterranean coral, spiny oyster has been over harvested. Some jewelers re-work older pieces. Purple Spiny Oyster Shell : Living Spondylus shells are, indeed, very spiny, but the polished product looks very smooth the most used Spondylid Bivalve shell colors include orange, reds, and purples and may include distinct striations and color variations. In the American Oceans, the Spondylids occur along the North American coasts, as far north as North Carolina, on the Atlantic Coast, and northwestern Mexico Purple Spiny Oysters grow in deeper water, making them more difficult to find and harvest.