Aboriginal shell necklaces and engraved pearl shell

Aboriginal peoples of Australia keep shell jewelry traditions that pass from generation to generation. These are pieces of cultural and memory value, as well as beauty.

Who and where #

In Tasmania, Aboriginal women have kept alive the art of tiny shell necklaces, called kanalaritja in the palawa kani language. In northwest Australia (the Kimberley), Aboriginal peoples engrave pearl-oyster shell to make pendants (known as riji) used in ceremonies and traded over long distances.

Materials and techniques #

• Very small sea shells, collected, cleaned and pierced one by one.
• Pearl-oyster mother-of-pearl, engraved with motifs.
• Thread or cord to string and tie the pieces.

Traditional pieces and their meaning #

• Tasmanian shell necklaces: long strands of tiny iridescent shells, made by women and passed down in families.
• Engraved pearl-shell pendants: pearl-oyster shells with engraved designs, for ceremonial use and exchange.

The tradition today #

Aboriginal communities keep these practices as a form of cultural continuity. To buy, go to Aboriginal artists or community art centers that identify the artists.

See also #

• Mother-of-pearl and shells
• Pearls
• Symbols in traditional jewelry and their meaning
• How to buy artisan and Indigenous jewelry ethically