All sea-shells used in Hebridean Sea Jewellery originate from the sea and coasts surrounding the beautiful and remote Outer Hebridean archipelago.
Our shell jewellery is created from cast-up cowries, mussels, urchins and scallops, which are sensitively worked to enhance both their natural beauty and durability.
In addition, we also use by-products from the Hebridean Smokehouse in our unique salmon bone jewellery; after careful treatment these vertebrae combine with Sterling Silver beads to make stunning bracelets.
By it's very nature, every piece we hand-craft is a true one-off, with it's own unique characteristics, and is created using Sterling Silver to lift and accentuate colours and markings.
We have endeavoured to provide images which show a good example of our entire range of jewellery, but please remember that as each piece is unique there will be minor appearance and size variations.
We are happy to alter bracelet or chain length / weight on request.
Prices shown (see below) include postage and packing.
Cowries
The cowrie is a subtly elegant, much-loved and sought after shell, with it's instantly recognisable ridged surface and pale toothed underside.
After polishing, small holes are bored in the shell to enable careful construction, which is similiar to methods used in ancient times (evidence of their use as an adornment has been traced back to Neolithic Scotland).
Cowries live and feed on asicidians amongst the off-shore kelp forests, and their shells can be found left by Atlantic storms on the sandy beaches that fringe the Western coast of the island. They are our only native representative of this largely tropical family of shells. Buy now.
Scallops
The fan shape of the scallop shell has been iconic through the ages - being widely used as a symbol in religious and heraldic imagery.
The rays of the scallop naturally suggest sectioning in the distinctive way we select and polish pieces for our pendants.
Scallops are largely sendentary and filter-feeding, but can swim to avoid predators such as star-fish. On the East side of the island, very low tides reveal scallops lying exposed on the briefly dry sea-bed. Buy now.
Sea Urchin
The sea-urchin is perhaps one of the finest examples of nature's gift for pattern and symmetry. Intricate raised markings adorn the delicate and rotund form of the sea-urchin, and closer inspection reinforces one's admiration.
In working with sea-urchins, we first remove the prickly spines, then carefully polish the shell, finally adding strength and lustre through layers of transparent lacquer.
Sea-urchins graze amongst the dense kelp-beds that surround the island, their striking pinky-white shells in stark contrast to their dark habitat. At extreme low tides they are predated upon by sea-birds, and their fragile shells or 'tests' can be found broken up, or washed up whole. Buy now.
Mussel
The deep indigo colour and smooth curve of the mussel shell make it a perfect organic material for use in jewellery.
The sheen that can be achieved through gentle polishing is almost iridescent, and the pearl-like quality of the inner shell means that a pendant can be worn both ways.
Mussel beds abound around the coast of North Uist, graduating from tiny storm mussels on the exposed West Coast, to the large specimens on the sheltered East side. Mussels can live fairly high up the tide line, and provide food for a wide range of birds and land and marine animals. Buy now.
Salmon Vertebrae
A classic and striking silver and white combination of delicate and intricately structured salmon vertebrae, contrasting beautifully with fluted Sterling Silver beads (pierced fish vertebrae found in the Middle East represent the earliest archaelogical evidence of human adornment).
We retain the salmon skeletons, or 'frames', which result from Hebridean Smokehouse's production, and the individual vertebrae are then carefully cleaned, treated and bored in a lengthly and painstaking process.
The salmon used by Hebridean Smokehouse, and hence by Hebridean Sea Jewellery - are native to the island of North Uist. Our use of farmed native salmon is unique - all other farmed salmon in the UK are of Norwegian origin; this use of local stocks confers considerable environmental benefits, and by recycling the bones as jewellery, we are maximising the utilisation of these special fish.
The products listed below are available to UK addresses and include postage and packing. If you wish to view products available to non-UK addresses, please click here - additional shipping charges apply.
 Polished cowrie bracelet with Sterling Silver spherical spacer beads, measuring 19cm in length, and fastened with a Sterling Silver carabiner trigger clasp | |
 Polished cowrie pendant with Sterling Silver spherical spacer bead, hung on a fine 40cm Sterling Silver chain | |
 Polished cowrie earrings with Sterling Silver spherical spacer bead, hung on Sterling Silver earwires | |
 Polished scallop shell pendant measuring approximately 2-5 cm in length and hung on a fine 40cm Sterling Silver chain | |
 Polished and lacquered urchin shell pendant measuring approximately 2-5 cm in length and hung on a fine 40cm Sterling Silver chain | |
 Polished mussel shell pendant measuring approximately 2-5 cm in length and hung on a fine 40cm Sterling Silver chain | |
 Salmon vertebrae bracelet with Sterling Silver fluted beads, measuring approximately 19cm in length and fastened with a Sterling Silver bolt ring clasp |