Dentalium – 1 Tear Purple Heart Song
$46.00
Dentalium 1 Tear Purple Heart Song Earrings are a rich and tender tribute to the wealth, beauty, and sacred heritage of Native American tradition. Deep purple, white, silver, brown, and luminous mother of pearl tones flow through dentalium shells, silver beads, and mother of pearl hearts in this elegant 1.5 × 7.25-inch design, honoring the profound cultural and ceremonial significance of dentalium shells in Indigenous culture.
Description
Dentalium 1 Tear Purple Heart Song Earrings are a deeply meaningful and beautifully crafted expression of cultural heritage and artisan mastery. Measuring 1.5 × 7.25 inches, dentalium shells are carefully assembled with silver beads, glass beads, and silver cone beads alongside luminous mother of pearl hearts on a leather base, handwoven with Nymo thread and finished with surgical steel components in a rich, spiritual palette of purple, white, silver, brown, and the natural iridescence of mother of pearl. The single cascading tear drop silhouette flows with graceful, unhurried elegance, while the mother of pearl hearts introduce a tender, intimate dimension of compassion, connection, and spiritual warmth at the heart of the design. The deep purple tones lend the piece a sense of quiet majesty and spiritual depth, evoking themes of intuition, transformation, and the sacred mysteries of the natural world.
In Native American traditions, dentalium — or tusk shells — are small tubular mollusk shells historically harvested from the Pacific Northwest, particularly around Vancouver Island. Highly prized for their rarity and natural beauty, dentalium shells were used by Indigenous peoples across America as a valued form of currency, trade, and regalia. Carefully harvested and widely traded among nations, they were used to adorn dresses, necklaces, earrings, and ceremonial accessories, symbolizing wealth, status, and cultural distinction. To wear dentalium is to carry the legacy of generations of Indigenous artistry, trade, and cultural pride.
The mother of pearl hearts bring their own layered natural symbolism to the design — representing the ocean’s protective energy, harmony, and the nurturing power of the sacred feminine. Their soft, iridescent surface shifts and glows with every movement, adding an ethereal luminance that beautifully complements the deep purple and cool silver tones. The warm brown leather elements ground the piece in organic tradition, connecting the finished design to the natural world from which all its materials were lovingly gathered.
Dentalium 1 Tear Purple Heart Song Earrings honor this rich legacy through deep, luminous design and heartfelt detail — a wearable tribute to heritage, compassion, and the enduring cultural significance of one of nature’s most treasured shells.
Details
- Colors: Purple, white, silver, brown, mother of pearl
- Materials: Dentalium shells, silver beads, glass beads, silver cone beads, mother of pearl hearts, leather, Nymo thread, surgical steel
- Size: 1.5 × 7.25 inches
Care Instructions: Wipe with damp cloth and keep dry. Dentalium is a delicate shell and can break or crack if you are rough with it. Even though the Nymo thread is nylon based and is very strong, pulling hard and yanking on the earrings can tear the thread. Please be kind to these earrings when you wear them.
