Nearly everyone has wandered down a sandy beach and bent to retrieve a particularly pretty seashell at least once in their lives. Seashells, the shed exoskeletons of marine animals, often end up in collections because of their beauty, individuality, delicacy, and symmetry. As common as grains of sand, seashells still manage to retain their mystery and attraction… like tiny shipwrecks from another world, come to rest here on our beaches, they carry with them the inspiration and intrigue of the sea.
Peter Stone, long fascinated by the sea and its treasures, knows how exciting it can be to investigate a sand-crusted lump—and find a stunningly beautiful shell, coiled and vivid or perfectly ridged, a gem of the sea—and that’s one reason why we created the beautiful Shell jewelry collection, so you can carry your inspiration with you, even when you’re miles from the beach. We also want to offer a few fun and surprising facts that we learned when we started researching seashells through history.
Shell Shockers:
You think there are a lot of shells on your beach? Shell Beach, in Western Australia, is made entirely of cockle shells.
Small octopuses sometimes use empty shells as hiding spots, or build temporary “forts” around themselves with sea shells.
If you find a shell that seems to have a hole drilled into it… you’re holding a murder scene. Predators drill or chip their way through shells to get to the animal inside. Some even use enzymes to partly
dissolve the shell.
If you’ve ever held a conch or other large shell up to your ear and heard the waves of the sea, what you’re actually hearing is all the background noise around you, jumbled up and muffled by the inner convolutions of the shell. A conch shell in a soundproofed room would be silent.
Seashells have been used as currency in various places throughout history, including many islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, North America, Africa, and the Caribbean.
The shell of the Giant Clam has been used in some areas as a bathtub, and even as a baptismal font.
Cowrie shells have often been considered symbolic of female fertility. Treated as fertility charms and worn around the neck, they were used to aid conception.
Seashells make great trumpets! Large sea snail shells are perfect, if you cut a hole in the spire of the shell, or cut off the tip of the spire entirely.
Now that you know a little bit more about your beachside treasures, take a look at the Peter Stone Shell collection. We know you’ll find something beautiful to inspire you!
Peter Stone: Jewelry Inspired by the Mystery and Power of the Divine.
Internationally celebrated jewelry designer and manufacturer Peter Stone produces some of the finest spiritual and Celtic jewelry in the world. Born of passion and exquisitely crafted, every one of our creations is a true work of art. We use the finest sterling silver and carefully hand finish each piece to ensure years of satisfaction and delight. And we give back to our communities, leading the industry with our environmental and social responsibility programs. Diverse. Passionate. Inspired. Responsible...Peter Stone 
Shells are amazing! As a child I loved going to the beach and collecting beautiful shells, I still have them all today. There is something so magickal about them. My son had Hermit Crabs and these amazing creatures upgrade their house as they grow! You need to leave a larger shell in their tank so that when the urge takes over they slip out and slide into their new home, incredible! I love the intricate patterns, the gorgeous colours and their delicate appearance but they are so strong. Each one has a story all of it’s own so to find one holds such significance, it creates a whole new story and a special place in your heart, no matter how old you are they bring out the inquisitive child within!