Shell Necklaces

The seashell necklace: as much a material as a motif

Most jewellery motifs are shapes: a heart, a star, a cross. The shell is both a shape and a material, and that changes everything.

On some of our pieces it's real shell: the cowrie on the choker, the white shell, the medallion under the starfish. A natural material has no fixed shade: somewhere between white and iridescent, it goes dull in the shade and lights up in the sun, and two shells picked up side by side never look alike. These seashell necklaces are never the exact twin of another piece.

On the others, the shell is drawn in gold or silver metal, or highlighted with enamel: the shape stays, without the fragility. The material of each piece is listed in its details.

It's also the oldest motif in the world. People were threading cowries long before they knew how to work metal.

Cowrie, white shell, scallop: knowing what you're buying

The cowrie is that small, smooth, rounded shell, split along its underside, that was used as currency for centuries. Its shape is instantly recognisable and holds up very well at a small size, which is what makes a good cowrie shell necklace.

The white shell is the natural piece par excellence: hung from a chain or set as charms, it keeps its irregularities and its iridescent sheen. It's the closest thing to a pearlescent finish in our collection, and the dressiest of the family.

The scallop shell reads from a distance thanks to its ridges. As a gold shell necklace in metal, it keeps the design without the fragility.

Then there are the spiral conch, the blue and white shell in azulejo-style ceramic, and enamelled versions in bold colours. Hung from a fine chain, each of them becomes a shell pendant necklace in its own right.

What a shell necklace does for an outfit

It brings light to the right place. Worn high, close to the face, it reflects daylight back onto your skin, and that's the one effect plain metal can't produce, because metal shines instead of diffusing.

On a plain outfit, white or cream, it becomes the only subject and holds it. On denim, it softens the look. On a late-afternoon dress, it takes you from day to evening without changing your jewellery.

And it isn't just for summer. It's in January, over a polo neck, that a shell necklace is at its most interesting: it's no longer a holiday souvenir, it becomes an intention.

Where to find it in the collection

The shell crosses paths with almost everything. It has its place among our beach and ocean necklaces, alongside the starfish and the turtle. It's built into our charm necklaces, where it shares the chain with other charms.

It's also strung with faux pearls and beads on our faux pearl and beaded necklaces, and sometimes falls lower as one of our long necklaces. A few short pieces join our choker necklaces.

As a gold shell necklace, the white shell leans towards cream and the whole piece warms up; browse all our gold necklaces. As a silver shell necklace, the whites stand out and the necklace looks crisper; see our silver necklaces.

Natural shell needs a little more care

This is the one point where a necklace in real shell differs from the rest of our range in daily wear.

The metal that carries it won't tarnish on skin. Shell, however, is a natural material, and should be treated as one: with a little more care than metal.

Three simple habits are enough. Take your necklace off before swimming and sport. Put your perfume on before your necklace, never after. Store it somewhere dry in its gift box, away from anything that could rub against it.

Giving a shell necklace

It's a gift with one particular quality: it speaks of a place without naming anyone. You give it after a trip, before a departure, or to someone you know loves the sea, and it carries that message without your having to write it.

It also has the advantage of being a motif everyone can wear. Unlike the heart, which speaks of a feeling, or the cross, which assumes a belief, the shell asks nothing of the person who receives it. It's worn for what it is. You'll find more ideas in our necklace gifts for her.

No two pieces alike

That's the direct consequence of a natural material: on the pieces in real shell, the shade, the veining and the reflections vary from one piece to the next. The photos on our product pages show the piece and its colour; the iridescence will be yours alone.

Every necklace is sent in its gift box, ready to give as it is. This is shell jewellery to wear all year round.