Navajo Spiny Oyster and Silver Necklace and Earrings [SOLD]

Special Value Offer: We have been authorized to offer this at a 30% reduction in price from the original price of $2150 to a new price of $1500.

The official name of the shell used in this necklace is Spondylus and it is from a bivalve mollusk.  Additionally, it is known as thorny oyster or spiny oyster.  The many species of Spondylus are grouped in the same superfamily as the scallops. They are not closely related to true oysters, however, they do cement themselves to rocks, rather than attach themselves by a byssus. Like scallops, Spondylus have multiple eyes around the edges of their shells, and have relatively well-developed nervous systems. Spondylus shells are much sought after by collectors, and a lively commercial market exists for them.

Native artists of long ago traded with Indians from California and Mexico for shells and rapidly learned how to make jewelry from them.  Hieshe is made from shell and was worn long before silver jewelry became a product of the Navajo and Pueblo smiths. 

This necklace is not signed with the name of the artisan but based on the construction and the silver chain, we have determined it was made by a Navajo smith.  The necklace is accompanied by a pair of earrings made for pierced ears.

Condition: original condition

Recommended Reading:  Jewelry by Southwest American Indians: Evolving Designs by Nancy Schiffer

Provenance: from a gentleman from Colorado