Paua Jewelry—Fossilized Mammoth Ivory Hummingbird Pendant Necklace

Most of us have seen hummingbirds crowd our hanging feeders, but to glimpse one in nature feeding from a flower in the garden or in the wild is a real treat. Hummingbirds must ingest about half their body weight in sugary nectar each day, which means they typically feed over five times an hour. They lick up the nectar with a forked tongue that pokes out the end of their thin bills, taking in little micro sips.

We selected gorgeous New Zealand paua shell to represent our hummingbird's flower. This multi-colored and luminous material comes from the inner shell of an abalone species native to New Zealand. It is a focal point in all our paua jewelry and provides a radiant counterpoint to the ancient ivory's soft, creamy glow.

The hummingbird's body is hand carved from fossilized mammoth ivory, an increasingly rare material that is over 15,000 years old. This ancient ivory lies in permafrost or underground for much of its life where minerals color it the rich earthen shades that are its signature. Its luminous quality make it perfect for setting into carved ivory jewelry pieces such as this hummingbird pendant.

Fossilized mammoth ivory inspires so many of our jewelry designs because of its unique connection to ancient times and to the earth.