Shell Sculptures

Large white crystal quartz geode split into two halves each with a large naturally forming baroque pearl. Geodes are formed as gas bubbles within volcanic lava. Over time, the lava ...

A fine vintage silvered sea shell. Comprising a high spire sea shell with silver overlay throughout. In the style of Ruzzetti & Gow or Buccellati. The ...

17th century Italian hand-carved and gilded crown with polished agate coral and baroque pearls. It is mounted on a coordinating gilded fragment and free-forming agate coral base. Thi...

A beautiful natural starfish dipped in a light-gold finish. A great decorative object for a shelf, on top of books, cocktail table, a vanity or bath a...

Rare calcite crystal cluster formation adorned with natural forming gold baroque pearls in its matrix. Calcite is the most abundant carbonate on Earth and commonly forms in caves, ...

Authentic giant clam shell specimen with its iconic sculptural form and sea inspired colors and textures.

An intricate natural conch shell clad in sterling silver showcasing it's sculptural ridges & beautiful organic form. The interior reveals a pearly white finish, adding contrast t...

Fantastic Atlantic trumpet sea shell professionally mounted on a natural coral base ,artistically hand embedded with amethyst quartz crystal pieces ,Thant make a beautiful art object...

Chinoiserie pagoda. Very decorative Italian painted plaster and wood three-tiered pagoda alla Mongiardino emanating from marine inspired grotto base with four masks issuing water in...

Sculptural driftwood with fossil agate coral, crystal points, and fossil shells. Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore of a large body ...

An extraordinary contemporary sculptural torso meticulously clad in hundreds of naturally patterned shells, creating a richly textured and visually captivating surface. Evoking the s...

A striking mid-century Mexican modernist sculptural lidded dish in the form of a grasshopper, executed in solid brass with vibrant tessellated abalone shell inlay. Designed in the ic...

Large Starfish encrusted with Swarovski crystals and miniature shells by Artist Douglas Cloutier The piece is signed on the back with the Cloutier label.

Mid century Italian nautilus shell enhanced with silver plate overlay and presented on a silvered faux rock base. Signed Ruzzetti & Gow on the bottom.

Stunning vintage 1980s original Ruzzetti & Gow Italian sterling silver wrapped spindle tibia shell is 8.5" long. Has the original tag inside. Excellent table top decorative object. G...

Amethyst slice with calcite deposits and a Baroque natural forming pearl on a polished wood base. This amethyst is rare in how large it is and how it...

Striking group of five mid century assorted seashell specimens sculpturally enhanced with a silver overlay. Priced individually. Top Left H: 5 W: 8 D: 5.5 $1,450.00 (SOLD) Top...

A beautiful Sea Shell of good size mounted on stand with metal rod... the base is also a very heavy piece of metal with nice detailing. The piece is a nice addition to any side tab...

A beautiful pair of organic sculptural clam shells on Lucite stands, circa 1980s. The pair are in very good condition and measures 9.5"W x 3"D ...

This a monumental clam shell displayed on a Victorian black wrought iron plant stand. Both are very heavy and in very good condition. Plant stand: 12” triangle x 39.75”H.

Whelk Seashell 12”W, 7”D, 6”H Half Clam Shell 10”W. 7”D, 4”H Horned Helmet Conch9”L, 7”H, 7”W

Original decorative sculpture in the shape of a dog, crafted entirely from carefully assembled natural seashells. The piece stands out for its rich texture and chromatic contrast bet...

Mellerio Paris, A French Gold, Diamonds, Silver-Gilt, Rock-Crystal, Jade, Mother-Of-Pearl and Smoky Quartz, Carved Horse Sculpture, Jeweled Mounted Object. An extremely rare and unique, one of a kind French gold, diamonds, Silver-gilt, rock-crystal, jade, obsidian, mother-of-pearl, and smoky quartz carved jeweled sculpture "CHEVAUX DE LEGENDE", "A Legendary Horse" by Mellerio, Paris, circa 1991. Sitting on black obsidian base, the solid rock-crystal slab is finely applied with a carved smoky -quartz and jade horse with a harness mounted in 18k gold, brilliant -cut diamonds, rubies, turquoise, and amethyst chains and pendants. The top columns adorned with 18k gold and brilliant cut diamond pendants, the bottom with gold and mother of pearl plaques. The obsidian base with a plaque engraved: CHEVAUX DE LEGENDE" / N° 05 / MELLERIO DITS MELLER / PARIS / 5003 D The piece is in excellent condition and comes with a custom made wood case made for transport. It's very elegant and has French hallmarks throughout. A truly magnificent piece. Measures 10.5" high x 8.5" wide x 4" deep Founded in France in 1613 by the descendants of Italian immigrants from the Vigezzo Valley in the north of Italy, Mellerio is one of the oldest jewellery houses in Europe. The family business soon attracted the attention of the Royal Court and Marie Antoinette herself reportedly purchased a precious bracelet featuring 7 cameos surrounded by rubies in 1780. Later on, in the 19th century, Mellerio became the official supplier of the French Royal family and the Court of Netherland. Mellerio creates many jewellery items, all set with rare gems such as peridots, amethysts, aquamarines, citrines and topaz, applying for a patent, the flexible stem, a very supple and light jewellery mechanism. Mellerio remains also well known for their spectacular series of Art Nouveau jewels, created at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as for the creation of trophies rewarding some of the greatest footfall and tennis players of history. In 1993, the jewellery house launched their first watch collection. Today, Mellerio has stores in Paris, Japan and Hong Kong. July 14, 1789: this date is known throughout the world as the beginning of the French Revolution. According to a ledger belonging to House of Mellerio, this was also the day that the jeweler sold a golden key to the Comte de Coutance for 10 livres. This ledger, as well as inventories dating as far back as 1768, are the jeweler’s oldest archives. These archives have continued to grow over the years, as the House, established on rue de la Paix in Paris, still lives on today, still in the hands of the same family from Craveggia, in the North of Italy. The tumultuous history of the Mellerio family in France probably goes as far back as the Italian wars of the Renaissance, but the first official document proving their commercial activity in Paris dates back to 1613. This document is the famous royal warrant awarded by Marie de Medici to a number of Italian families established along the rue des Lombards, including the Mellerios, allowing them to sell “small jewelery items”, therefore granting them a small exception to the traditional monopoly enjoyed by Parisian jewelers. At that time, powerful corporations regulated the operations and customs of Parisian business, but thanks to this exceptional warrant, the Mellerios managed to escape the confines of this framework. Today, this wax-sealed document is kept at the city hall of Craveggia. From 1613 to the Revolution, the Mellerios lived between France and Italy. The corporations tried many times to put an end to their trade privileges, but all in vain, as a dynasty of sovereigns renewed the warrant. Always marrying and often retiring in Craveggia, the Mellerios continued to maintain their jewelry business in Paris. At first, they did this without a shop. Wearing backpacks (wooden boxes divided into small compartments where jewels were kept), they would tour town fairs around Paris and royal castles. This is how Jean-Baptiste Mellerio (1765-1850) is said to have sold a bracelet set with rubies and Antique cameos to Marie-Antoinette, which still exists today. Many elements seem to prove the veracity of this anecdote. The queen was particularly fond of cameos, which cover the entire background of her famous jewelry cabinet, and ruby was her favorite stone after diamond. The famous bracelet, reacquired a few years ago by the House of Mellerio, is indeed an 18th century jewel, set with antique cameos representing the profiles of Roman emperors. Two branches of the family were operating in Paris during this time, under the reign of Louis XVI: that of Jean-François (1746-1828), the paternal ancestor of the current Mellerios, and that of Jean-Baptiste (1765-1850). The French Revolution forced them to return to Italy. However, both Jean-Baptiste and François Mellerio (1772-1843), who was the son of Jean-François, were eventually able to return to Paris after the founding of the Consulate. Jean-Baptiste opened a shop at the Iron Crown of rue Vivienne, and François opened his at the Palais des Tuileries, rue du Coq Saint-Honoré. His well-organized order books give an idea of his high-ranking clientele during the “Old Regime”, among which were the Comte and Comtesse Octave de Segur, the Marquise (later Duchess) de Tourzel, former governess of the royal children, and her daughter, the Comtesse de Bearn, the Craufurds -who organized the flight to Varennes, the Duc and Duchess de Gramont, the Comtesse de Boigne, and Madame de Souza, Talleyrand’s mistress. We also see the names of the imperial family: Empress Josephine, the Queen of Holland, Princess Elisa, Caroline and Pauline. At that time, the House of Mellerio specialized, among other things, in the trade of antique cameos, a newly fashionable genre of jewel that captured the imagination of all the princesses and noble women of the time. The years of the Restauration and July Monarchy were among the most glorious. The Bourbons were back on the throne, and the clientele of the House of Mellerio had regained its former wealth. Mellerio supplied Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, as well as his mother, wife and sister, with sumptuous jewels, including a set of emeralds made piece by piece, while the Duke of Bourbon, last prince of the House of Condé, offered diamonds to his mistress, the scheming Baronne de Feucheres, and Monsieur de LaFayette also bought cameos for one of his granddaughters. For the first time, Mellerio ventured into the world of arts in 1815, when Carlotta Grisi, a famous dancer who created Giselle, as well as an actress named Rachel, bought jewels at the Mellerio store on rue de la Paix. 1848 marked a new turning point. France once again became a Republic. François Mellerio handed the company over to his son, Jean, and the latter decided to travel to Spain to build a new clientele. He later became one of the jewelers of the royal family, and met Eugénie de Montijo, who remained a faithful client when she became empress of the French people. The Imperial years were lavish. During the Second Empire, Paris was a pageant of crinoline dresses designed by Worth, while jewels by Mellerio, Worth’s neighbour on the rue de la Paix, adorned the noble women of the Tuileries court. The Empress bought pearls. Mathilde Bonaparte...

18th century Italian gilded crown with hand-carved angels. The crown was originally part of a canopy of a devotional structure or altar in a historical Italian church. The intricate ...

18th century Italian crucifix with gold-plated kyanite, calcite crystals in matrix, and baroque pearls. The crucifix is originally from a church in Liguria. It is hand-carved and pai...

Amethyst slice with a baroque natural forming pearl on a polished wood base. This amethyst is rare in how large it is, its beautiful shape, and its l...

Fantastic Atlantic sea shell professionally mounted on a natural coral base, artistically hand embedded with small rocks crystal pieces that make beautiful one of a kind object of ar...

An important and elegant natural history specimen of scientific and collector's interest, typical of European late 19th-century cabinets of curiosities. The composition is dominated ...

Ruler Selenite with an 18th century Italian gold leaf fragment and natural forming baroque pearls on a lucite base. Ruler selenite or "selenite logs" are single, prismatic selenite crystals from Morocco that were formed in extensive beds by the evaporation of ocean brine. This mineral is characterized by a silky, pearly luster called satin spar. The piece is put together by Jean O'Reilly Barlow, the artist and creative director of Interi. The date of manufacture reflects when she created the piece and the period shows that the Italian fragment is originally 18th century. Interi transforms Italian artifacts...

A large collection of exotic seashells arranged and displayed in three cylindrical glass containers. A wonderful decorative interest in any room or take individual shells or a groupi...

Rare Binazzi, Italy small trinket bowl. Natural shell combined with silver plated sculpture,  1970s, made in Italy. This piece is in excellen...

Maitland Smith Tessellated Horn And Abalone Fish Sculpture. Offered is a large Hollywood Regency tessellated horn, abalone and brass fish sculpture by Maitland Smith. See photo for l...

A male necklace from the Asmat Village, Papua New Guinea. Large cone shells in concentric rows, seamlessly sewn onto a cotton macrame base, which has been hand-knotted around a sem...

"Cauliflower" fossil agate coral adorned with natural-forming baroque pearls and shells. Fossil agate coral is Florida's state stone and is known for its unique formation that can take place over 20 million years. It's a natural gemstone that is created when prehistoric coral is gradually replaced with agate. This is a complete piece of fossil coral head...

Set of three graduated spheres with a wonderful eggshell lacquered finish in a triangular patterns. Clearly hand carved, none are exact spheres which only adds to their charm. This a...

Sculptural 17th century Italian fragment mounted with a mica formation with fossil ammonites. The Italian fragment originally came from an altar candlestick from a historical church...

Organically formed Agatized fossil coral with unusual and rare coloring. As Florida's state stone, Agatized Coral is the product of a 20-30 million year process through which the co...

Polished agate slice centered with natural forming pearl. Agate coral is Florida's state stone and is known for its unique formation that can take place over 20 million years. It's ...

Artisan ceramic Florida Sea cow Manatee family , sea shells and driftwood in a mobile sculpture.

Cosmetic Vessel ‘Hinted Bird’ type Ancient Phoenician, Eastern Mediterranean, Late 7th - early 6th century B.C. Carved, incised and smoothed Tridacna (clam) shell 15 cm long 8 cm wide 4 cm high Provenance: Private collection, UK (acquired before 1983) This subtle, anthropomorphically carved clam shell, represents an ancient iron age cosmetic vessel made in the Phoenician region of the eastern mediterranean, during the late 7th - early 6th century B.C. ie. after the Assyrian occupation the region, and before the Babylonians. Perhaps due to this short period of production, only around 100 of these objects have been found, mostly throughout the Near East and Mediterranean, but also as far west as Italy (i.e. The British Museum example 1852, 0112.3 - Fig.2). Tridacna clam shells themselves are native to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf. The present work finds a close comparison with a Tridacna maxima shell that has an umbo (apex) carved with 'eyes' and smoothed-down exterior (fig. 1). That object was found at the Great Temple of Amman, in modern day Jordan (Caubet and Poplin 1995: 492, n.21; Koutsoukou 1997: 147 - 48, n.185; Routledge 1997: 37, n.37, fig.7) and illustrated in Brandl (2001: fig.7, p.57). The style of both works is characterised by minimal carving and Brandl suggests they are part of a group called 'The Hinted Bird Engraved Tridacna'. Brandl also posits that the engraved Tridacna industry grew out of the withdrawal of the Assyrian's from the Phoenician coast, as shells from the Red Sea would have then become available through agents in Egypt. However, the period of production was only brief, as it seems the Tridacna production centre in the region was destroyed 50 years later by the Babylonians. More heavily engraved examples exist in The British Museum (fig.2) and The Metropolitan Museum, New York (fig.3). Further examples can be consulted in the seminal, 1974 study of these objects by Rolf Stucky: The Engraved Tridacna Shells...

17th century Italian hand-carved and gilded crown bejeweled with rutile quartz crystals and baroque pearls. It is mounted on a coordinating gilded fragment with a metal crown base th...

A very beautiful vintage seashell [sea shell] tissue box holder cover, Victorian design, circa early to mid-20th century. Box is wood and covered wit...

A beautiful set of artist made starfish decorated with polished shells and encrusted Swarovski crystals by Douglas Cloutier. Original label.

Pair of 17th century Italian 'Florence Fragment' bases from Tuscany topped with polished ammonites and adorned with citron crystal quartz points. These fragments are from a church in...

Beautiful Large Natural Highly Decorative Sea Shell. Great for decorating! I purchased a collection of Sea Shells from a antique store in Newport.

In Renaissance Style with various shaped applied stones and strap-like figures in front and back, the silver lid opens as box.

Beautiful Atlantic seashell professionally mounted on a genuine sea Corolla base, artistically embedded with fantastic turquoise stone all around, to make exceptional object of art f...

18th-century Italian candlestick on chalcopyrite in matrix decorated with Brechites Australis or "Australian Watering Pot" found on the Great Barrier Reef, with coordinating natural ...

18th century Italian gilded altar candlestick with a Chesapecten fossil shell formation and natural forming baroque pearls. The 18th century Italian gilded fragment was originally a...

Early 20th century shell money ring mounted on a custom made stand, Papua New Guinea.

This beautiful large clamshell swan is designed and handmade by Gabriella Binazzi. She creates original and unique objects using strange materials such...

18th century Italian Carrara marble angel in a bleached turtle shell mounted on a polished alabaster base.  The bleached turtle shell emulates a bath for the angel. The angel is cra...

A rare sculptural quartz geode in matrix with a natural formed crystal and baroque pearl. This specimen is from the Appalachian region of North Carolina. This was dug by hand and in...

Striking and highly collectible sculptural work by celebrated Mexican designer Emilia Castillo for Los Castillo, one of the most important names in the Mexican silversmithing movemen...

2020 handmade shell ball sculpture.

Post modern 1980s Lucite and shell mirrored obelisk table sculpture.     

18th century Italian cross mounted on a polished pink hematite quartz heart and adorned with aurora (sunset) quartz and a natural-forming cross shaped baroque pearl. The 18th centu...

Outrageous larger than life piece of Folk Art painstakingly composed of found objects such as sea shells, beads, toys, vintage jewelry buttons, and bottle caps (to name a few). There...

Sculptural 'Sacred Heart' - 18th century Italian gilded angel mounted on a polished red hematoid quartz heart and adorned with a natural-forming baroque pearl. The piece is inspired ...

An elegant decorative composition featuring a selection of natural seashells arranged on a fluted, silver-plated metal base. The variety of shapes, textures, and tones—from pearly wh...