A gorgeous sterling silver quahog shell necklace pendant ... endlessly interesting jewelry made with a small quahog shell found on the shores of Newport, RI, a found object, a discovery from the deep.
Their scientific name is mercenaria mercenaria, the Latin word for wages.

The quahog is the official RI state shell … you can find these hard clam shells on almost any beach in the state in a variety of sizes.
The island we live on, Aquidneck Island, was negotiated by Roger Williams in 1638 and peacefully purchased by deed from its original settlers, the top chieftains of Narragansett Nation, for 40 - 45 fathoms of white and purple wampum (wampum is a highly valuable bead crafted from quahog shells and a fathom is a six foot long string of wampum beads, so 240 - 360 beads per fathom) for the local sachem (the diplomatic chiefs or leaders), and in addition to the wampum the trade included 10 winter coats and 20 hoes (farming tools).

Interestingly though, in cuisine the size matters as to how they’re prepared and what they’re called as food items because the size changes their texture and flavor, tender when small and tougher and brinier as they grow larger.
So, in food preparation, from smallest (around 1”) to largest (over 4”) they are called countnecks, littlenecks, topnecks, cherrystones, and finally quahogs, though they are all really just quahogs.

- approximate measurement - 3/4” x 5/8“ 
- the back side is curved smooth, unlike the original shell - the casting process required it

- metal - sterling silver (.925 silver
)
*** charm only - the chain is sold separately here
- photographed with a US dime and inch ruler for scale 

- please note, sand cast individually so they will vary slightly from the photos

Add a little freshwater pearl charm, available here.

I found the quahog shell found between the tides in Newport, RI.  I order for a successful sand cast I had to fill the underside of the shell with wax, to remove the undercut and to make it thick enough for successful sand casting in sterling silver.  After making a sand mold for the shell I melted sterling silver and poured it into the empty sand mold.
After sand casting I cleaned it up, added the suspension loop and finished it to highlight the shells gorgeous details ... hand crafted jewelry when how it's made matters.

“My life is like a stroll on the beach... as near to the edge as I can go”

~ Henry David Thoreau