Wampum Disk Earrings

Description

This is a pair of indigenous wampum disk earrings. The beautiful hues of purple and white is stunning. Pueblo jewelry, indigenous Native American jewelry. Earrings are comfortable, not too heavy but solidly made and substantial disks.

Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Native American tribes of the Eastern Woodlands. The beads are harvested from the shells of Western North Atlantic hard-shelled clams and are typically white and purple. Native Americans would harvest the clams in the summer and eat their contents before working on the shells. The process of creating wampum was long and hard, usually taking a full day to make just one bead. Shells would be ground or drilled down very carefully using rocks. Not only was the process difficult, but it was also somewhat dangerous, fine dust from the shaved off shells could cut up the lungs if ingested so Native Americans would often use water to limit the dust.

*natural wampum
*sterling silver wire and earring hooks marked .925
* unisex
*approx. 2 3/4” which includes the earring hooks X 1 3/4” at widest points