# Aboriginal shell necklaces and engraved pearl shell

> Tasmanian Aboriginal women string tiny iridescent shells; in northern Australia, pearl shell is engraved: jewels with living memory.

- Source: https://www.711grados.com/en/aboriginal-shell-necklaces/
- Language: en
- Note: This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.
- Published: 2026-07-02
- Updated: 2026-07-02
- Translation (es): https://www.711grados.com/es/collares-conchas-aborigenes/
- Author: Sandra Sánchez
- Site: 711 Grados (https://www.711grados.com/)

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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](https://www.711grados.com/en/mother-of-pearl-and-shells/), 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.

> [!NOTE]
> The meanings of the pieces can vary between communities, families and periods. This entry is a general introduction; to go deeper, turn to artisans and to museums of the communities themselves.

## See also

- [Mother-of-pearl and shells](https://www.711grados.com/en/mother-of-pearl-and-shells/)
- [Pearls](https://www.711grados.com/en/pearls/)
- [Symbols in traditional jewelry and their meaning](https://www.711grados.com/en/symbols-in-traditional-jewelry/)
- [How to buy artisan and Indigenous jewelry ethically](https://www.711grados.com/en/buying-artisan-jewelry-ethically/)