Kabibi Earrings

 
Oval hoops with cowrie shell, gold lipped shell and mother of pearl + 18k gold hook. (Shell beads will vary in color) 
 
Each adornment has been smoke cleansed with anglem (burned twined cotton cloth) infused with dragon's blood resin in order to release and drive away malevolent spirits or energies.
 
Cowrie shells have a long history and significance in multiple cultures. Kabibi (or, shell in Tagalog) is used in many Philippine households from jewelry / adornments to functional use. From Africa to Asia and Oceania, cowrie shells were the most commonly used means of payment. Cowrie shells are known to bring good luck and to protect the spirit of the wearer, and many use them in spiritual ceremonies. They also are a sign of femininity and fertility.  I personally wear them as an amulet and to connect to my ancestors that inhabited the archipelago. 
 
Pearls are the only gems born from a living creature in by way of a conscious, self nurturing process. They are representative of powerful feminine energy and the ability to create a new life within it.  The south sea pearl is the national gem of the Philippines and a sacred symbol. The Pearl of Lao Tzu (1934), The Palawan Princess (2009), and The Pearl of Puerto Princesa (2016) are three of the world’s largest natural pearls all discovered in the Philippines. With its home in the sea and even freshwater,  pearls can have great purpose in moon rituals and energy channeling and symbolize our own inner wisdom.