The Difference Between Puka Shell & Heishi Necklaces

I have to admit, I did not know the range of differences when it comes to puka shell, conch shell, and heishi necklaces. I sort of assumed all of them were hand crafted beads out of shell or stone, and nested together to make a necklace.

However, although traditionally heishi necklaces were made of shell, they are now made of all kinds of material, both organic and hand made. The main difference between heishi and puka is that traditional heishi beads are hand crafted, and the drill holes are manmade. The heishi and puka shell also have different cultural and geographical origins.

Heishi are hand made disc or tube shaped beads that originated in the Dominican Republic. New Mexico, and Arizona, going back several thousand years.

Puka shell necklaces, on the other hand, are made of shells with natural holes in the centre as part of the structure of the shell. They come from the beaches of Hawaii, and became popular in the sixties and seventies. The shells were gathered from the beaches, and then made into necklaces for the tourist and gift market.

The link at the end of this post shows an example of a vintage puka shell necklace, along with the description of a genuine puka shell necklace from Hawaii. I do have a few in the collection, as well as several heishi necklaces, so will have to go through and examine them all closely. 

As it is with all things, some are more elaborate, and more beautiful than others. That can be said for both the heishi and puka shell necklaces. The older ones are by far the best.

Most of the older shell necklaces have barrel clasps, which is an indicator of age. However the barrel clasp dates back to the Victorian era, and has been used ever since.

Therefore the barrel clasp offers a wide range of dates to try and figure out. In some cases, the clasp looks very old with patina, and wear on the metal, which is usually brass. In other cases, it is quite shiny and newer looking. It does depend on how the necklace was kept, and how often it was worn as well. In some cases, older jewelry can be in mint condition, if it has been well cared for.

In my opinion, and experience though, I do not see the barrel clasp in contemporary jewelry. It most often seems to be from the Victorian era, to the 1960’s or so. In the more recently made jewelry, you are most likely to see spring or lobster clasps on necklaces.

Once I get through all the measuring and re-examining of the jewelry in the collection, I will do a more detailed blog post on the clasps from the twentieth century.

I have found quite a few websites that discuss the various types of clasps, but often they do not give any indication of dates. The clasp is a key indicator, and sometimes the only indicator of the age, so it does help to learn more about them, if you are interested in vintage and antique jewelry.

See the link below for the puka shell necklace:

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2023). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.