Nautilus shells for jewellery, perhaps that's what we have in mind when we think of the perfect spiral in nautilus shells, that they are perfect for jewellery (and indeed they are). But in some cultures, these shells take on much more meaning. In Polynesia, for example, these shells are traditionally thought to be able to drive or keep ay bay many evil spirits. So shells take on more than just a decorative function for them. They place shells on their roofs and doors, the best places to ward of bad omen.

Though displaying them that way certainly makes them easy to see, displaying them on your body, as jewellery--as pendants, earrings, and bracelets, for example--is also a fine thing. But what is often thought of as some exotic or nice way to use sea shells has a deeper history. Nautilus shells, if one did not already know, could be eaten and used as jewellery on its own, meaning without encasing it in silver, gold, or putting diamonds on it.

The nautilus is a cephalopod, a classification that puts in along the group of squids, cuttlefish, and octopi. They are
the only cephalopod to possess an external shell, a casing that houses their body, protects them, and late on becomes an adorning item for people to use.

Found mostly in Indonesia and in the Philippines, nautilus shells remain unchanged all the way from almost five hundred million years ago. They lived during and through the dinosaur age. The nautilus is a living fossil. Its shell, lined up with mother of pearl, continues to grow during its life to large chambers. The nautilus is also an inspiring symbol for life's renewal.

Novelty, gift, and other item shops can get many nautilus shells from fishermen and divers, and afterwards sell them as souvenirs or as jewellery. Cords or strings of beads could be attached to the shell (after the edible meat has been taken out) so that the result can range from pendants, to key chains, to bracelets, and sometimes, earrings.

You could also find nautilus shell jewellery online, ones with precious stones and materials like diamonds and silver placed on the shells. Some nautilus shell jewellery also does not involve shells but are merely inspired by them--like nautilus shell shaped earrings.