Is spiny oyster rare?
Is spiny oyster rare?
The shells of the Spiny Oyster are rare finds and are especially treasured by Native American Indian artists for their beautiful red, pink, brown, yellow, orange, purple, and white colors. This makes purple spiny oyster rarer and often harder to find.
Why is spiny oyster so expensive?
Spiny oyster was harvested by free diving down to collect the bivalves. It is still done the same way today, although many divers use air tanks when diving. The way it’s collected often determines its price. The deeper and more dangerous to collect, the more expensive it will be.
What is a spiny oyster?
Spiny oyster is a Spondylus used in jewelry making, and it is common in Native American jewelry. Some people call it a gemstone or stone, but it comes from the bivalve mollusk shell, and it’s found in warm waters like those in the Gulf of Mexico and along the coasts of North American and the waters of South America.
Is spiny oyster expensive?
Spiny Oyster Shell ( orange and reddish colors) Although not nearly as rare as the Blood Coral or Rose Coral, divers collect Spiny Oyster by hand, making the work laborious and relatively expensive, with some risks.
Is spiny oyster Turquoise real?
The oyster turquoise is made with real shell from the spiny oyster, which is combined with turquoise to create the beautiful unique patterns. Andean people used spondylus shell as complete shells in rituals, cut into pieces and used as inlay in jewelry, and ground into powder and used as architectural decoration.
Is spiny oyster dyed?
The Spiny oyster is commonly used and comes in shades of orange, purple and other colors. Today, the shell may be dyed to enhance the color or treated for durability.
Is spiny oyster turquoise real?
Is spiny oyster purple?
Spiny Oyster Shell can be found in a variety of shades ranging from yellow, orange, red and purple.
