Native American Navajo Silver Purple Spiny Oyster Shell Pendant

This Pendant is handcrafted with?Sterling Silver and purple Spiny Oyster Shell. It features a simple but expertly made hand-tooled border that dramatizes the?subtle yet vibrant?tones of the Spiny Oyster.? ?

• Measurements: 2" x 1 1/4" (Including Bale)
• Hallmarked with a bear fetish, initials RB
• Stamped: 925

Spiny Oyster shell, more formally called spondylus brodnip princeps or spondylus princeps, is found in the Sea of Cortez off Baja California, Mexico. Spondylus is a Latin word meaning "spines on its back." Brodnip is the name of the scientist who traveled with Cortez on his exploration of Baja California.? The shell comes in three main colors: red, orange and purple, and sometimes is found in white and yellow. It was used in jewelry before coral became available. It was the shell most loved by the Mayan people, and has been found in abundance in archeological excavations of the Anasazi, Mogollon and Hohokam of Southwest. In 1976, Native Americans of the Southwest began to export purple spiny oyster shells for jewelry making, popularizing their use abroad.