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Shell Beads

Shell Beads

Shell beads are cut from the shell itself, not from a mineral. Mother of pearl and abalone come from the nacre, spiny oyster beads from Spondylus in orange, red and purple, wampum beads from the purple and white quahog clam, and queen conch, lion's paw beads, puka, cowrie, melo and shiva eye shell make up the rest. Heishi is the signature cut, beside rondelles, rounds 4mm to 14mm, coins, tubes and carved flowers, nearly all natural color. Shell sits with turquoise, coral, lapis and jet in a design.

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Products: 122

This is a Dakota Stones 1-2x3mm Hubei Turquoise Lapis Spiny Oyster Gemstone strand with AAA grade beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 1-2x3mm Hubei Turquoise Lapis Spiny Oyster Gemstone strand with AAA grade beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Hubei Turquoise, Lapis AAA, & Spiny Oyster 1-2x3mm Squaredelle - 15-16 Inch

$49.00 - $49.00
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These mixed stone strands have a great pop of color making them perfect for when you're making that unique and colorful piece of jewelry! This stra...

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Abalone Shell 4mm Heishi Bead - 15-16 Inch

$57.00 - $57.00
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$57.00

Abalone Shell is strong and is made of stacked calcium carbonate tiles. When the abalone shell is struck, the tiles slide instead of shattering abs...

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This is a Dakota Stones 7mm Wampum Shell Gemstone strand with rondelle beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 7mm Wampum Shell Gemstone strand with rondelle beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Wampum Shell 7mm Rondelle Bead - 15-16 Inch

$49.00 - $49.00
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$49.00

Wampum is made from one of the hardest and most beautiful shells in the world: the Northern Quahog, a clam found along the New England coast. The w...

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$49.00 - $49.00
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$49.00
This is a Dakota Stones 5mm Wampum Shell Light Gemstone strand with rondelle beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 5mm Wampum Shell Light Gemstone strand with rondelle beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Wampum Shell 5mm Light Rondelle Bead - 15-16 Inch

$41.00 - $41.00
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$41.00
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$41.00

Wampum is made from one of the hardest and most beautiful shells in the world: the Northern Quahog, a clam found along the New England coast. The w...

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$41.00 - $41.00
$41.00
$41.00
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$41.00

Spiny Oyster 6mm Orange Rondelle Bead - 15-16 Inch

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This is a Dakota Stones Wampum Shell14mm Gemstone strand with round beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones Wampum Shell14mm Gemstone strand with round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Wampum Shell 14mm Round Bead - 15-16 Inch

$149.00 - $149.00
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$149.00

Wampum is made from one of the hardest and most beautiful shells in the world: the Northern Quahog, a clam found along the New England coast. The w...

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$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00
$149.00
$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00
This is a Dakota Stones 3mm Spiney Oyster Red Gemstone strand with heishi beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 3mm Spiney Oyster Red Gemstone strand with heishi beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Spiny Oyster 3mm Red Heishi - 15-16 Inch

$64.00 - $64.00
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This is a Dakota Stones 20mm Mosaic Inlay Abalone Mother of Gemstone strand with coin beads in 8 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 20mm Mosaic Inlay Abalone Mother of Gemstone strand with coin beads in 8 inch strand.

Mosaic 20mm Inlay Coin - Abalone & Mother Of Pearl - 8 Inch

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Mother of Pearl 3x5mm White Tube Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Mother of Pearl, also known as Nacre, is an iridescent composite of organic and inorganic material most known for being the coating of pearls. It i...

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Mother of Pearl 6x13mm White Bevel Edged Rectangle Bead - 15-16 Inch

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$64.00

Mother of Pearl, also known as Nacre, is an iridescent composite of organic and inorganic material most known for being the coating of pearls. It i...

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This is a Dakota Stones 6-7mm Purple Puka Shell Gemstone strand with chip beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 6-7mm Purple Puka Shell Gemstone strand with chip beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Purple Puka Shell 6-7mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

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Puka shells are naturally broken, ocean-tumbled fragments of cone snail shells, featuring a naturally occurring center hole ("puka" in Hawaiian). O...

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Mother of Pearl 6x13mm Black Bevel Edged Rectangle Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Mother of Pearl, also known as Nacre, is an iridescent composite of organic and inorganic material most known for being the coating of pearls. It i...

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$64.00 - $64.00
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This is a Dakota Stones 3x5mm Abalone Shell Gemstone strand with rondelle beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 3x5mm Abalone Shell Gemstone strand with rondelle beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Abalone Shell 3x5mm Rondelle Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Abalone Shell is strong and is made of stacked calcium carbonate tiles. When the abalone shell is struck, the tiles slide instead of shattering abs...

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This is a Dakota Stones 4-5mm Spiny Oyster Mixed Black Lip Gemstone strand with heishi beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 4-5mm Spiny Oyster Mixed Black Lip Gemstone strand with heishi beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Spiny Oyster Mixed With Black Lip Shell 4-5mm Heishi - 15-16 Inch

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The stunning contrast of the Spiny Oyster and Black Lip Shell make for a bold combo that is sure to be great to add to your designs!

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Spiny Oyster & Turquoise 6mm Orange Rondelle Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Spiny Oyster 6mm Red Round Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Spiny Oyster & Turquoise 10mm Rondelle Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Spiny Oyster & Turquoise 8mm Heishi Bead - 15-16 Inch

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This is a Dakota Stones 10mm Mother of Pearl Puff Black Gemstone strand with star beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 10mm Mother of Pearl Puff Black Gemstone strand with star beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Mother of Pearl 10mm Puff Star Black - 15-16 Inch

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Mother of Pearl, also known as Nacre, is an iridescent composite of organic and inorganic material most known for being the coating of pearls. It i...

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$76.00 - $76.00
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Spiny Oyster 9mm Carved Flower Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Mother of Pearl 3mm Black Cube Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Mother of Pearl, also known as Nacre, is an iridescent composite of organic and inorganic material most known for being the coating of pearls. It i...

View full details
$28.00 - $28.00
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This is a Dakota Stones 20mm Mosaic Inlay Mother of Pearl Gemstone strand with coin beads in 8 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 20mm Mosaic Inlay Mother of Pearl Gemstone strand with coin beads in 8 inch strand.

Mosaic 20mm Inlay Coin - Mother Of Pearl & Spiny - 8 Inch

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Spiny Oyster 10.3x19.5mm Bear Bead - 15-16 Inch

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This is a Dakota Stones 4mm Hubei Turquoise Spiny Oyster Compressed Gemstone strand with heishi beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 4mm Hubei Turquoise Spiny Oyster Compressed Gemstone strand with heishi beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Hubei Turquoise & Spiny Oyster 4mm Compressed Heishi - 15-16 Inch

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Hubei Turquoise is sourced from Hubei Province in Northern China, one of the most recognized turquoise-producing regions in the world. This materia...

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Abalone Shell 5-10 Chip Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Abalone Shell is strong and is made of stacked calcium carbonate tiles. When the abalone shell is struck, the tiles slide instead of shattering abs...

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$36.00 - $36.00
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This is a Dakota Stones 4x6mm Lions Paw Rice Gemstone strand of round beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 4x6mm Lions Paw Rice Gemstone strand of round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Lions Paw 4x6mm Rice - 15-16 Inch

$36.00 - $36.00
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The lion's paw scallop is a species that consists of large scallop shells with ridges and bumps that have a rough texture. The shell is known for i...

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This is a Dakota Stones Irr Shiva Eye Gemstone strand with irregular oval beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones Irr Shiva Eye Gemstone strand with irregular oval beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Shiva Eye 18-22 Irregular Oval 15-16 Inch

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This is a Dakota Stones 10mm Wampum Shell Gemstone strand with rondelle beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 10mm Wampum Shell Gemstone strand with rondelle beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Wampum Shell 10mm Rondelle Bead - 15-16 Inch

$59.00 - $59.00
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Wampum is made from one of the hardest and most beautiful shells in the world: the Northern Quahog, a clam found along the New England coast. The w...

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$59.00 - $59.00
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Spiny Oyster 6mm Red Star Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Spiny Oyster 8-9mm Orange Clover Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Spiny Oyster 8mm Orange Rondelle Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Mother of Pearl 1-2x4mm White Thin Heishi Bead - 15-16 Inch

$54.00 - $54.00
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Mother of Pearl, also known as Nacre, is an iridescent composite of organic and inorganic material most known for being the coating of pearls. It i...

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This is a Dakota Stones 5-8mm Spiny Oyster Chips Orange Gemstone strand with free-form beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 5-8mm Spiny Oyster Chips Orange Gemstone strand with free-form beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Spiny Oyster 5-8mm Free Form Chips Orange - 15-16 Inch

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Mother of Pearl 6mm White Heishi Bead - 15-16 Inch

$57.00 - $57.00
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$57.00

Mother of Pearl, also known as Nacre, is an iridescent composite of organic and inorganic material most known for being the coating of pearls. It i...

View full details
$57.00 - $57.00
$57.00
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$57.00 - $57.00
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Shiva Eye Shell 9x11mm Puff Oval Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Shiva Eye shells—also known as Pacific Cat’s Eye or Operculum—are the protective "door" of Turban snails, found in Thailand/Indonesia. They symboli...

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Spiny Oyster & Turquoise 3x6mm Dark Orange Rondelle Bead - 15-16 Inch

$106.00 - $106.00
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This strand is made of Spiny Oyster and Turquoise compressed together to give you a bright and colorful combo for your jewelry designs!

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This is a Dakota Stones 12mm Wampum Shell Gemstone strand with heishi beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 12mm Wampum Shell Gemstone strand with heishi beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Wampum Shell 12mm Heishi Bead - 15-16 Inch

$68.00 - $68.00
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$68.00

Wampum is made from one of the hardest and most beautiful shells in the world: the Northern Quahog, a clam found along the New England coast. The w...

View full details
$68.00 - $68.00
$68.00
$68.00
$68.00 - $68.00
$68.00
This is a Dakota Stones 10-12mm Purple Puka Shell Gemstone strand with chip beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 10-12mm Purple Puka Shell Gemstone strand with chip beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Purple Puka Shell 10-12mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

$39.00 - $39.00
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Puka shells are naturally broken, ocean-tumbled fragments of cone snail shells, featuring a naturally occurring center hole ("puka" in Hawaiian). O...

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$39.00 - $39.00
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$39.00

Mother of Pearl 9mm Black Carved Flower Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Mother of Pearl, also known as Nacre, is an iridescent composite of organic and inorganic material most known for being the coating of pearls. It i...

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Shiva Eye Shell 10mm Heart Bead - 15-16 Inch

$36.00 - $36.00
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$36.00

Shiva Eye shells—also known as Pacific Cat’s Eye or Operculum—are the protective "door" of Turban snails, found in Thailand/Indonesia. They symboli...

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$36.00 - $36.00
$36.00
$36.00
$36.00 - $36.00
$36.00
This is a Dakota Stones 25x30mm Tiger Cowrie Puff Tab Gemstone strand of round beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 25x30mm Tiger Cowrie Puff Tab Gemstone strand of round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Tiger Cowrie 25x30mm Puff Tab - 15-16 Inch

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This is a Dakota Stones 4x6mm Lions Paw Orange Purple Rice Gemstone strand of round beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 4x6mm Lions Paw Orange Purple Rice Gemstone strand of round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Lions Paw 4x6mm Orange/Purple Rice - 15-16 Inch

$36.00 - $36.00
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The lion's paw scallop is a species that consists of large scallop shells with ridges and bumps that have a rough texture. The shell is known for i...

View full details
$36.00 - $36.00
$36.00
$36.00
$36.00 - $36.00
$36.00
This is a Dakota Stones 3x5mm Lions Paw Light Orange White Gemstone strand of round beads in 15-16 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 3x5mm Lions Paw Light Orange White Gemstone strand of round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Lions Paw 3x5mm Light Orange/White Tube - 15-16 Inch

$33.00 - $33.00
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$33.00

The lion's paw scallop is a species that consists of large scallop shells with ridges and bumps that have a rough texture. The shell is known for i...

View full details
$33.00 - $33.00
$33.00
$33.00
$33.00 - $33.00
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Spiny Oyster 8mm Red Heishi Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Spiny Oyster 8-9mm Red Carved Clover Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Spiny Oyster 6mm Coin Bead - 15-16 Inch

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This is a Dakota Stones 20mm Mosaic Inlay Abalone Spiny Oyster Gemstone strand with coin beads in 8 inch strand.
This is a Dakota Stones 20mm Mosaic Inlay Abalone Spiny Oyster Gemstone strand with coin beads in 8 inch strand.

Mosaic 20mm Inlay Coin - Abalone & Spiny Oyster - 8 Inch

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38mm Howlite, Turquoise, MOP, & Coral Mosaic Pendant Pair

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These mosaic inlay pendant pairs feature bold geometric patterns created from a mix of natural shell, gemstone, abalone, mother of pearl, turquoise...

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Shell before stone — the oldest beads, heishi and the Spondylus trade

Shell before stone — the oldest beads, heishi and the Spondylus trade

Shell was a bead before any stone was: pierced Nassarius shells from Skhul, in present-day Israel, are the oldest beads known, at over 100,000 years. In the Southwest, heishi — the Kewa (Santo Domingo) Pueblo word for shell bead — names the hand-rolled disc ground from olivella and other shell since around 6000 BCE. On the Pacific coast, Spondylus, the spiny oyster, was fished off Ecuador and traded into the Andes and north to Mexico for two thousand years; on the Atlantic coast the quahog clam became wampum.
Mother of pearl, abalone, spiny oyster, wampum, conch — the shells by name

Mother of pearl, abalone, spiny oyster, wampum, conch — the shells by name

Mother of pearl is the nacre of pearl oysters and mussels, white or black; abalone is the nacre of Haliotis, blue-green with a strong flash. Spiny oyster is Spondylus from the Sea of Cortez, orange, red and purple by species; wampum is the quahog clam of New England, white with a purple layer; queen conch is pink; lion's paw is a scallop in orange and cream. Puka, cowrie, melo, brown lip and shiva eye shell fill out the strands. The color is the shell's own; dyed material is titled dyed.
Shell heishi, rondelles and rounds 4mm to 14mm — the cuts, and the care

Shell heishi, rondelles and rounds 4mm to 14mm — the cuts, and the care

Heishi runs from 1x4mm mother of pearl to 12mm wampum and graduated 4mm to 20mm melo, with spiny oyster and turquoise mixed on one strand; rondelles 3x5mm to 12mm, rounds 4mm to 14mm, coins 6mm to 25mm, tubes, rice and carved flowers, clovers, stars and crosses; mosaic inlay pendants and coin cabochons, on 16-inch and 8-inch strands. Shell is Mohs 2.5 to 4.5: knot or space it, keep it from acids, perfume and ultrasonic cleaners, and store it apart from harder stone. It sits with turquoise, coral, lapis and jet.

About this stone

Color
WhitePinkOrangeBlackIridescent
Origin
PhilippinesPacific CoastMexicoChina
Mohs hardness
2.5–4.5
Treatment categories
NaturalDyed
Industry-standard treatment
Some shell varieties are dyed for color; most natural shells (abalone, mother-of-pearl) retain intrinsic color
Mineral chemistry
Calcium carbonate (aragonite or calcite) with organic conchiolin binding
Crystal system
Orthorhombic
Stone family
Organic shell
Common cuts
RoundRondelleHeishiDisk
Common sizes
4mm6mm8mm10mm
Care notes
Soft (Mohs 2.5–4.5) and porous. Avoid ultrasonic, acids, perfumes, prolonged water; mild damp cloth only.
Related stones
Pearl, Mother of Pearl, Spiny Oyster, Lions Paw, Abalone, Conch

Frequently asked questions

  • Why are spiny oyster and turquoise strung together?
    Because the Southwest pairs them: Spondylus shell and turquoise sit side by side in Navajo, Zuni and Hopi inlay and in Pueblo heishi, orange and red against blue, with coral and jet filling out the palette. The pairing comes ready-made on mixed strands — spiny oyster and turquoise heishi in 4mm to 8mm, rondelles in 4x6mm to 10mm, rounds in 8mm, and Hubei turquoise, lapis and spiny oyster heishi as small as 1x2mm — and in mosaic inlay pendants and coins. On its own, spiny oyster carries the same weight against silver.
  • What's the difference between mother of pearl and abalone?
    Both are nacre, the iridescent inner lining of a mollusk shell, but from different animals. Mother of pearl is the lining of pearl oysters and freshwater mussels — white, cream or, from the black-lip oyster, black — with a soft, even sheen. Abalone is the nacre of Haliotis sea snails from Pacific coasts, and paua is the New Zealand species with the strongest color: green, blue, pink and bronze flash with dark streaks. The flash is abalone's defining feature; mother of pearl reads as a quiet iridescent neutral.
  • Which shell beads are natural color, and which are dyed?
    Most carry the shell's own color. Spiny oyster is orange, red or purple by species; wampum's purple is the quahog clam's inner layer; queen conch is pink, lion's paw orange and cream, abalone blue-green, mother of pearl white or black. Dyed shell exists across the trade — shell is porous and takes dye readily, so saturated blues, greens and purples on a white shell are usually dyed — and here the strand is titled dyed where it is: blue mother of pearl, green troca. Dyed color can fade in sun and sweat.
  • Is queen conch shell legal to buy?
    Yes, with paperwork behind it. Queen conch (Aliger gigas, formerly Strombus gigas) has been listed on CITES Appendix II since 1992: international trade needs an export permit from the source country and import documentation on arrival. Legal queen conch in the U.S. bead trade comes from Caribbean fisheries under those permits, and the pink rounds, rice and clover beads here are that material. Finished pieces sold across a border fall under the same rules.
  • Which shells come as heishi beads?
    Nearly all of them, since heishi is the shell cut. Mother of pearl runs thinnest, 1x4mm to 6mm in white; spiny oyster 3mm to 8mm in orange and red, and mixed with turquoise, black lip, hammer shell or wampum on one strand; wampum 6mm to 12mm and graduated 8mm to 14mm; abalone 4mm; brown lip, hammer and purple oyster 5mm; melo, green lip and purple oyster graduated 4mm to 20mm. All are drilled through the center for stringing flat, and the graduated strands are cut to wear as a collar.