Spiny Oyster shell and Lions Paw Shell comes from the Sea of Cortez in Mexico and has always been a favorite of the Native American Indian jewelry artists and can be found in various shades of orange, red and purple. We recently discovered a source for Lions Paw shell beads which is very similar to Spiny Oyster, except that the interior of the shell has less white and these shells can be orange on one side with purple on the inside thus making are really gorgeous two-color bead! The Lions Paw is found from the Carolina's to the Gulf of Mexico and down the Atlantic side of South America. There are limited suppliers for the Spiny Oyster beads and cabochons and we always try to hand pick these strands to eliminate as much white on the beads as possible. The Lions Paw beads are just coming onto the market and are fairly hard to find . . . they sell out fast!
