*Please note that all items are custom made to order. The pattern of the wampum in your order will vary from the photo shown. Please note any specific shell design pattern requests upon ordering. Every piece of wampum naturally has a unique pattern, much like a snowflake.*
These are authentic wampum disc earrings, made with hand-drilled beads, shaped from Martha's Vineyard quahog shell, mounted on Italian Sterling Silver hook earrings.
The two disc shaped beads measure approximately 1 mm thick and 1" wide.
As a third generation wampum artist and Aquinnah Wampanoag Indian, I pride myself on completing every piece of the wampum process myself. From fishing for the quahogs in the waters of Martha's Vineyard, to shaping, drilling and polishing every 2024 bead by hand. Everything in my shop is authentic hand-made native jewelry that I create myself.
What is Wampum?
The Algonquin word for beads made from the hard shell clam(quahog) and whelk.When used as tribute by Southeast New England tribes the beads were considered a sign of respect and honor. Used as currency in lieu of scarce silver coinage, mostly for prized beaver and other fur pelts, the purple beads brought twice the value as the white in trade. Predominant in the coastal regions of southern New England, wampum enriched the tribes of this area during the early contact trading period. Wampum beads originally served as decoration and ornamentation, the individual beads painstakingly hand crafted by native artisans. A select group of contemporary Algonquin artists have reintroduced this craft as a tribute to the cultural and artistic contributions of algonquian people, and by doing so provide a tangible link to traditions of the past and the history of the region.
Product code: Large Wampum 2024 Disc Earrings