Blog — spiny oyster shell

New to our collection of gemstones is spiny oyster shell.  This shell, which is a cousin to a scallop, has long been prized, not for it's taste, but for it's colorful shell.  As is the case for all things that come from our oceans, it is getting more rare to find.  Not only that, but it is covered with thorns or spines that stick out all over the shell and harvesting is a tricky business.  Spondylus, which the scientific name for spiny oyster, means "thorns on the back" and is an apt name for this exquisite product of Mother Nature....