Shells are the true gems of the ocean and a beachcomber’s most prized find. Although, commonly used today to adorn necklaces, earrings and bracelets, or to decorate the home, shells and their ...

Have you ever wondered about the true nature of cowrie shells? Where do they come from? Are they simply shells, or is there more to their story? You may have a vague understanding that cowries were ...

This story was first published in The Conversation. The shells form a bright and shiny mass that makes a satisfying, almost metallic sound when you run your fingers through them. The entire sample ...

Money cowrie’s were “highly valued by many African cultures” and even used as currency, according to the Carlos Museum at Emory University. City of Boston Archaeology Program photo Finding a Pacific ...

Mohamed Athman, 28, arranges sea shells at his stall near Mama Ngina Drive in Mombasa County on April 05 2016. Athman who gets his cowrie shells from South Coast areas of Vanga and Shimoni in Kwale ...

In the archaeology storerooms of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, lie two boxes filled with seashells. The shells form a bright and shiny mass that makes a satisfying, ...