Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry

There is a huge variety of Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry from numerous different Pacific cultures. Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry was originally made using neolithic tools. Many of these gems made with sharks teeth and obsidian. The materials were those found in nature such as shells, teeth, bone, bush fiber, feathers, stone, wood and turtle shell. As soon as Pacific Cultures came in contact with Europeans they started to incorporate glass trade beads.

 

The aim of the article is to look at some of the vast variety of Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry. I have included lots of images to help the reader identify specific pieces of Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry. Great examples are often considered to be pieces of Pacific Art.

 

I Buy and Sell Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry.  If you have a piece you would like to sell please send me an image. If you have a piece of Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry and just want to know more about it or find out what it is worth feel free to send me an email.

Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry general

 

 

With experience, it is possible to identify pieces of  Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry.  You can tell exactly where it comes from. Many pieces of Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry could only be worn by people of a certain social rank or status. They often signified to others not only your wealth but your position within society.

The value of Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry depends on several factors. Physically attractive pieces are of course more valuable than plain pieces. Rare pieces are more valuable than common pieces.

The condition is extremely important because restoration is often nearly impossible. Polynesian Jewellery tends to be more valuable than New Guinea material.

As it would take a very thick book to cover all the Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry the following images are just some examples.

Great book on Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry is Pacific Jewellery and adornment

I have not included Tribal combs because they are covered in a separate article.

Examples of Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry

Wasekaseka Fijian whale tooth necklace.

Made from split and reshaped whales teeth on a sennit cord.

 

 

 

Solomon island kap Kap.

Made from a filigree of turtle shell over a disk of Gaint clam.

 

 

 

Maori Hei Tiki.

Made of Pounamu greenstone and shell eyes.

Papuan Gulf Kina shell necklace.

Fijian Breastplate

Made of whale teeth and black pearl shell.

 

 

 

Micronesian Necklaces

Made of carved sections of giant clam and spondylus shell.

 

 

 

Papuan Gulf Bark Belt New Guinea

Marquesan Toggle

Made of carved bone.

 

 

East Sepik Hair Adornment

 

Hornbill feather Billum bag.

Ok people Papua New Guinea.

 

 

 

Hawaiian Royal necklace.

made from Carved sperm whale tooth and human hair cord.

 

 

 

New Ginea Dogtooth ear rings.

 

 

 

Marquesan Island Kap kap.

Made from a filigree of turtle shell on bailer shell.

 

 

Solomon Island Nose piece.

Made from carved pearl shell.

Maori Ear Ring

Made from Pounamu greenstone.

 

 

 

Coastal Sepik Back adornment Papua New Guinea

 

 

 

Marquesan Ear Plugs

Made of marine ivory.

Hawaiian Pigtusk bracelet

Traditional Pacific Island Jewelry

Due to the sheer volume of material I have other articles that cover this subject with additional images. They include New Guinea adornment New Guinea jewelry and Traditional shell jewelry

If you cant find the piece you want to be identified feel free to contact me. Chances are I will be able to help.

 

All images in this article are for educational purposes only.

This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which was not specified by the copyright owner. 

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