Cowrie Earrings: Gold Home Accents Smith and Carpenter Center director

Smith and Carpenter Center director Dan Byers

Rochelle Goldberg

Organic four pod cluster stud earrings rendered in brushed sterling silver

and thimble-sized ceramics

and renewable

Cowrie Earrings: Gold Home Accents Smith and Carpenter Center directorCowrie Shells circulated as a medium of exchange in Asia, Africa, Oceania and North America as early as the 14th century. The cowrie shell, in particular, was the form of currency in West Africa during the transatlantic slave trade. The shells are known to bring good luck and to protect the spirit of the wearer, and many tribes use them in spiritual ceremonies. They also are a sign of femininity and fertility, with women often wearing them not only to