Rock Crystal Shell Reliquary

18k Yellow gold, hand carved Rock crystal, blue sapphire, and pearl reliquary vessel. In the ancient world, they weren’t just decoration—they were symbols of protection, rebirth, and safe passage. Shell-shaped vessels appeared across Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern cultures, often used to hold perfumes, oils, or offerings. Their form echoed the sea: a reminder of migration, trade routes, and the boundary between worlds.

The scallop, especially, carried deep meaning—linked to Aphrodite’s birth from the sea foam, a symbol of femininity, beauty, and divine arrival. To hold something precious inside a shell-shaped vessel was to honor it; to carve one was to invoke the ocean’s quiet power.