*Please note that all items are custom made to order. The pattern of the wampum in your order will vary from the photo shown. Please note any specific shell design pattern requests upon ordering. Every piece of wampum naturally has a unique pattern, much like a snowflake.*

This is an authentic wampum bracelet, made with hand-drilled beads, shaped from Martha's Vineyard purple quahog shell.

The flat bead bracelet is 6-7mm by 10-13mm rectangular hand made beads strung side by side strung horizontally on a false sinew braid. Each bracelet is custom made to order. Please contact me for assistance ordering or measuring for the best fit.

False sinew is used in place of actual sinew, which is made from the long muscle fibers of deer. Real sinew is extremely difficult to work with and equally hard to find. While the braid appears to have a manila tint, it fades into a beautiful rustic cream color which compliments the lighter colors in the beads.

As a third generation wampum artist and Aquinah Wampanoag Indian, I pride myself on completing every piece of the wampum process myself. From fishing for the quahogs in the waters of Martha's Vineyard, to shaping, drilling and polishing every bead by hand. Everything in my shop is authentic hand-made native jewelry that I create myself.

What is Wampum?
The Algonquin word for beads made from the hard shell clam(quahog) and whelk.When used as tribute by Southeast New England tribes the beads were considered a sign of respect and honor. Used as currency in lieu of scarce silver coinage, mostly for prized beaver and other fur pelts, the purple beads brought twice the value as the white in trade. Predominant in the coastal regions of southern New England, wampum enriched the tribes of this area during the early contact trading period. Wampum beads originally served as decoration and ornamentation, the individual beads painstakingly hand crafted by native artisans. A select group of contemporary Algonquin artists have reintroduced this craft as a tribute to the cultural and artistic contributions of algonquian people, and by doing so provide a tangible link to traditions of the past and the history of the region.