What is Wampum?

"If you hold or wear wampum, you must be honest and only speak truth."  Quote from the Iroquois Nation. 

In 1637 WAMPUM became a form of legal trade tender between whites and Native Americans in the not yet established United States. In 1735 European settlers invented machines to mass produce the tender. At that time, Wampum was nearly depleted and no longer recognized as a legal trade tender. 

Wampum is still sacred to many indigenous people and continues to be used in their regalia today. 

Acknowledgment & Love for:

Brandi Rayne Dancing on Prairie; Oglala Lakota Teton Sioux/Waccamaw

Our Wampum Jewelry is created from quahog clamshells that are locally sourced from Eastern North Carolina. The clams are removed and eaten. Each shell is thoroughly cleaned. 

At this point the creativity begins. Richard draws shapes on the shells and carefully cuts each piece. Once he is pleased with the shape he begins a four phased polishing process that reveals hidden colors and smooths the shells. 

These polished treasures are then created into unique jewelry. 

Our inventory is constantly changing. Contact us for pricing and availability.