Shark teeth for necklace pendants are becoming increasingly popular, and though there are several versions of the shark teeth pendants, most of which are artificial, the demand for real/ natural shark teeth is at an all-time high. Shark teeth create not only super-fun fashion statements but also carry special meaning to most of their wearers. It is believed that the shark teeth, specifically the tooth of the Megalodon, symbolize masculinity. And in Hawaii, the ancient people from the island wore necklaces with shark teeth because they believed that the tooth was powerful and would protect them from the dangers of the sea. To date, Hawaiians hold the sharks in very high regard, and they are worshipped and highly respected.
Today, people wearing shark tooth jewelry do so because of the natural beauty of the tooth and jewelry, but also because they believe that the shark’s tooth will protect them, especially when surfing.
So, where are the shark teeth obtained from?
How do they get shark teeth for necklaces?
The shark teeth are special because of the fact that the tooth’s skeleton is actually made from the skeleton that allows for fossilization over many years, resulting in unique, stunning, and durable teeth that also make great jewelry.
That said, and contrary to popular beliefs, shark teeth are not really hard to come by, especially because sharks have been around for more than 400 million years. But the teeth are the only parts of the shark that stick around that long because the rest of the shark’s body is made of cartilage, which doesn’t turn into a fossil, meaning that at the end of the day, all that remains from the sharks is their teeth. It’s also worth noting that it takes as much as 10,000 years for the teeth to turn into fossils, but the teeth are still very easy to find. And no, sharks are not killed or harmed by jewelers looking to use shark teeth in their jewelry. Of course, there are a few people that will hunt and harm shark for their teeth, but for the most part, the teeth are obtained ethically.
While some of the seaside jewelry boots with shark tooth jewelry will feature teeth from sharks that have been killed for their teeth, there are many other ethical jewelry creators who use shark teeth – the teeth are often collected at the beach when they wash up or when the interested individuals dive to the bottom of the sea to look for the teeth. Unfortunately, and despite the best efforts of the marine conservation organizations and individuals, there aren’t many shark teeth washing up to shore, and it’s generally very hard to find natural shark teeth in the most ethical ways. As a result, you should be aware of the fact that most of the companies dealing in shark teeth and shark teeth jewelry may have gotten the teeth through unethical means.
That said, you will be happy to know that there is a growing number of jewelry creators that make shark teeth necklaces but from faux materials. These necklaces are cheaper, but you wouldn’t have to worry about the unethical means that the real shark teeth were obtained. The fake or man-made shark teeth are often made of materials like glass, porcelain, rubber, metal, or plastic, and though they are not real, most of them look and feel like the real thing. The real shark teeth, on the other hand, contain actual teeth enamels and dentine, which tend to fossilize easily, making them the most common type of ocean artifact.
So, if you are fascinated by shark teeth jewelry but you doubt the source of the teeth, you should not buy the jewelry. You’d rather opt for the faux shark teeth made of porcelain for the necklace, or if you found a shark tooth on the beach, you may want to think of making your own shark tooth necklace at home. We’ll show you how to do that below:
How to make a shark tooth necklace
To make your own shark tooth necklace, you will need the following:
- The shark tooth (collected at the beach or on the dive at the bottom of the sea
- Craft wire, about 8-10inches
- Leather necklace cord
- Necklace clasp
- Beads, though optional.
Now that you have all your necessary items, it’s time to put them all together. Clear the table to get started on this small project.
First, you need to wrap the craft wire on one of the edges of the tooth, for example, the left edge. Keep wrapping it all around the side, then pull it tight, making sure that the tooth is held in place tightly and held in place. When done with the left edge, move to the right, repeating the steps above until the tooth is well-secured in place. Note that for easy creation of the shark tooth, you want to make a loop on the top section of the wire – you will need that loop to run the cord through. And when making that loop, make sure that you have the actual size of the leather cord in mind – a thick leather cord is a preferable option for most people, although you could also use a thin leather cord if you prefer dainty necklace chains – just get the right size of the loop.
Now that you have the craft wire wrapped around the shark tooth run the leather cord through that loop you’ve made and keep pulling the cord until you have the right cord length for the necklace. Then attach the clasp on the ends of the cord, and voila, you have your very first homemade shark tooth necklace.
Conclusion
It’s not easy to find shark teeth on beaches around the world nowadays, and you don’t also have any guarantees if you opt to dive. So, most of the shark teeth on the market have been obtained unethically. Before you buy the necklace, confirm that source.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.