Spiny Oyster Jewelry

Spiny oyster shell is found in the Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico.  The color can range from red, orange, purple and even white and yellow.  The Native Americans popularized this shell when they started to import it in 1976.  It is the shell of the spondylus, which means "spines on its back" which is very descriptive of this colorful but spiny shell.