In ancient African graves, beads and beaded necklaces have been found buried with kings and chiefs. The Ashanti reasoned that powdered glass beads were worth their weight in gold and that certain beads held supernatural protective powers. The Yoruba people believed that buried beads would grow in the ground and multiply. The most popular trading items brought over by the Europeans in the 16th century were beads and thousands of pounds of beads were exchanged, mainly in Western Africa and Zaire. They were worn to indicate a person’s wealth and social ranking. At times they were given as a token of affection and to show love. The shells vary in size. Please select either a small, medium or large shell necklace when ordering. The price is for one beautiful strand. Please click photo for enlargement! When OFFLINE click button to leave a message! Dimensions: Small shell: 15 inch hang length. Medium shell: 14 1/2 inch hang length. Large shell: 12 1/2 inch hang length. Wt: 1 lb. **For a complete inventory listing please go to the 'Index' section on the Navigation Bar to your right** Item 056a$35.00 Close upFrom left to right the necklaces are arranged small, medium and large. Please click photo for enlargement! Tribal African JewelryClick here to visit our Tribal African Jewelry II section. The WarehousePlease click here for new arrivals.