Do You Remember Puka Shell Chokers of the 70s?

The early 70s were a time of hippieness, earth mothers, earth shoes, dreads, peasant blouses, and even bell bottoms left over from the late 60s. For those who needed to be in the workplace, this look easily translated into more polished use of these elements.

I have listed a duo of genuine Puka shell vintage chokers. They are high-quality, real Puka shells and not the lower-end necklaces made with imitation shells that are so prevalent.

They are listed together as a gorgeous, mock double strand necklace and nestle together perfectly. They have screw clasps and are separate individual chokers so you will have options to wear as a single or a double.

When put together, they create a fabulous textured look in shape and color. The colors of these Puka shells are subtle shades of cream, taupe, and grey. I really love these.

Over 40 years of wonderful vintage wear, it is fun to think about where these treasured necklaces have been!

You can see them in GalleriaLindaLoft's Vintage Jewelry shop on Zibbet!

HISTORY
Puka Shell History from Wikipedia
Puka shells were beachworn pieces of cone snail shells, a kind of seashell. Puka is the Hawaiian word for "hole" and refers to the naturally occurring hole in the middle of these rounded shell fragments. Numerous inexpensive imitations are now widely sold however, the majority of which are not made from cone shells. Some beads are currently sold that are made from cone shells but the majority of these have been worked by hand with pliers from whole shells and then subjected to a little tumble finishing, instead of being formed entirely by natural processes.

The original puka shell beads were very easily made into necklaces, bracelets and anklets because they already had a natural hole which enabled them to be strung like beads.

Puka jewellery first became popular in Hawaii, though many species of cone snails, family Conidae, are found in tropical oceans worldwide.

In Hawaii, the wearing of puka shells was traditionally thought to ensure a peaceful and safe voyage, especially for sailors on a long journey, so puka shell necklaces were especially worn by those who had to travel at sea.