What kind of pearls are those ? Native american "treasure" ?

[GemGeek]

I always liked this shot of a Lakota boy with dentalium and pearls, although they are likely just beads.

Though a little off topic, dentalium are highly revered among most North American first nations. These tubular mollusks range in very limited areas. I had the opportunity to see this habitat during my geoduck diving days and could easily understand how difficult they were to harvest traditionally. Native fishermen would have gathered no more than a few pieces on each expedition.

Like natural pearls, beadwork and carvings... authentic dentailium shells are highly collectible, especially in traditional pieces.

Here, Dave posts this thoughtful photo, shares his experience with seeing the dentalium mollusks in situ, and also shares something he knows about the original shells and their traditional harvest and use. This one post is representative of the treasure that we have lost. Please come back.