Hi Linda,

If the necklace is genuine and in good condition, it could easily be worth
hundreds of dollars or more.

It just so happens that I know several people that make Ni'ihau shell
bracelets and necklaces, one of whom is from the island of Ni'ihau. Contact
me off CONCH-L, and I can give you a link to one of their websites, which
has pages with some general information and pictures of Ni'ihau shell
necklaces.

There is also a book I would recommend trying to borrow from the local
library:  "Ni'ihau Shell Leis" by Linda Paik Moriarty.

Cheers
Alex
Berkeley, CA

On Tue, 8 Nov 2005 14:00:58 -0500, Linda Bush <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Hi, All!
>
>Our club ran an ad in the newpaper to try to get new members, and of
course I'm getting a lot of calls from people who think they have a shell
item of immense value.
>
>So, I offered to ask you about this.  The lady has a vintage shell
necklace from Hawaii, made of "Ni'ihau" shells.  Obviously, I don't know
what the species is.  Is this necklace of any value, other than as a curio?
>
>Thanks,
>Linda
>
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