Survivor Series/African Shell Necklace - Second in a Series

by Deborah Hall
(South Africa)

The centerpiece for this wild, organic necklace is a beautiful shell, broken and imperfect, which I found on the shores of South Africa.

I love the idea of how this shell is so lovely even though it's broken; shiny and polished looking in some places, rough and hard in others.

This shell is very personal to me, and represents those of us who have been through terrible trauma. We're beautiful in spite of the broken places. For some of us, therein lies our beauty, that we have survived and overcome and continue to thrive.

And there is something very special about this shell. I always say that any "damage" done to us never reaches the core; that there is a place inside that is pure. This shell holds a tiny, perfect shell wedged in it. From one side, it’s very visible. From the other, it’s not at all. That also represents something to me – no matter which side we choose to show, that perfect core is always there.

This is the second in a series that I plan to do. I have to admit that I glued the tiny shell inside the bigger, broken one. In the original one, I found it that way.

So, there you have it about the shell, and onto the rest of the necklace :)

I’ve used very organic, natural materials for this necklace – bones, pearls and seeds.

The pearls are freshwater pearls, and they range in color from snowy white to creamy pinkish beige.

There are three types of bone beads. The first – the darker ones with the cream colored heart shape are from East Africa. This hand carved bone bead is decorated with wax, and then dipped in boiled thick black tree sap which dyes the uncovered areas. The result is a typical East African look, and can be seen on textiles as well. The other tube shaped ones closest to the clasp are also East African. The ones I know least about are the four cream colored irregular shaped beads. I have read, and I believe that no animal is killed for its bones in bead making.

There is a single goldstone, which has a wonderful shimmer of gold colored specks, and another bead, which, is it amber? Quite honestly, I’m not sure. I’d like to say it is, but I’m not positive.

Opposite the amber looking bead is an ocean jasper bead. It has swirls of milky white and chocolate brown. Ocean jasper is very special because it is only mined in one place in the world – on Madagascar’s coast – and even then, it can only be mined during low tide, by boat. I was thrilled to read that ocean jasper is a stone used for emotional release! I read this after I included the one in this necklace.

Interspersed throughout are copper colored and champagne colored glass seed beads.

I handcrafted the clasp out of copper wire that I up-cycled from electrical wire, and strung the necklace with nylon coated stainless steel for strength and durability.

To whoever buys this necklace - hopefully you have never been through trauma, but if you have, may you wear this knowing that there is a place inside you that is untouched, and may your beauty shine through your broken places.

The shell measures 7cm x 4.5cm (2 ¾ inches x 1 ¾ inch), and is approximately 3cm (just over an inch) at its thickest point.

The necklace measures 41cm (just over 16 inches).

Deborah Hall
Singing Heat Jewelry