Discovering Shark Teeth

Sharks are ancient and mystical animals. The oldest sharks date back to almost 450 million years ago. Discoveries of this giant, ancient shark were only possible because of the Megalodon tooth. Now, it’s pretty common to see shark teeth adorning someone’s neck. We’re sure most people don’t want to get up close and personal with a shark, so wearing Megalodon tooth necklaces is a way to admire them from afar. 

History of Shark Tooth Jewelry

Yes, they make for a super fun fashion statement, but there’s a lot more behind why people wear shark tooth jewelry. Shark teeth are so special because their skeleton is made from cartilage. The cartilage is what has allowed their teeth to fossilize for so many years. Since they’re so durable, people used shark teeth as weapons and kitchen tools in the past. 

Some believe the Megalodon tooth is a symbol of masculinity. In ancient Hawaii, people wore shark tooth necklaces to keep the dangers of the sea at bay. Hawaiians still deeply respected and worshipped sharks even though they wanted to stay protected from them. They believed some sharks embodied their ancestors or gods.

The necklaces started to become more popular when the movie Jaws came out. If you haven’t seen Jaws, what are you doing with your life?! No, but really, it was a movie series that came out in the ’70s and ’80s about a scary Great White shark going wild and attacking tons of people in the town. It’s no wonder this movie’s popularity made people want to buy Megalodon tooth items. 

Shark Tooth Jewelry Now

Today, people wear shark tooth necklaces to protect themselves while surfing. There’s a superstition that wearing the tooth will prevent sharks from attacking and keep people safe in the ocean. They’ve risen in popularity over the years, and now, you can find a different color, shape, and size shark or Megalodon tooth necklace to match each outfit of the day. Celebs have been spotted wearing shark tooth jewelry, including:

• Rihanna
• Vanessa Hudgens
• Robert Pattinson
• Jessica Alba

People wear shark and megalodon tooth necklaces to feel a little boost of confidence and a sense of protection since sharks symbolize strength and power. 

How to Recognize a Shark Tooth

We’re sure anyone that has been in the ocean has experienced the sweet feeling of sand between your toes. You breathe in the fresh open air, feel the waves crash down on your feet, look down and see a…shark tooth? Or is it? It can be hard to tell if what you’re spotting in the ocean is actually a shark tooth.

The easiest way to tell is by training your eyes to recognize the colors of the shark teeth. They can be a variety of colors, but black is the easiest one to spot. It’s pretty common to find them on the shoreline of the water. They might be hiding amongst a pile of seashells or under some rocks. Another tell-tale sign of a shark tooth is its shape. Shark teeth are always triangular and pretty small. Hold it up to the sun and look out for glossiness to determine if it’s a shark tooth. 

Whose Tooth is It?

You can also use features of the teeth to learn the type of shark from which it came. Tiger shark teeth have shorter blades than others, and they only extend as long as their roots. If the tooth has blades that look flat, it might’ve come from a bull shark. We don’t think you’d be spotting a Megalodon tooth during your walk down the beach, but just in case, a Megalodon tooth is massive in size compared to other shark teeth. The size alone is enough to determine that it’s a Megalodon tooth.

Is the Shark Tooth Real?

Let’s say you just picked up a shark tooth necklace during your shopping spree, but you can’t tell if it’s real or fake. What should you do? As we mentioned before, real shark teeth are made of solid material. They have little imperfections and don’t always have an even color. Fake ones look perfect and smoother than real shark teeth. If you’ve got the real deal, it’ll feel cold to the touch.  People typically make fake shark teeth out of

• rubber
• plastic
• porcelain
• metal

Our Favorite Shark Teeth in our Shop

Shark teeth are pretty cool, right? We have a fantastic selection of shark tooth pieces. If you’re thinking of snagging one for your jewelry collection, here are some of our favorites. 

Fossil Shark Tooth Pendant  

This beautiful tooth has rich earth tones, and there’s a high contrast between the marbleized blade and the red tone of the tooth’s root. The tooth comes from Chile. You can transform this pendant into a necklace with one of our awesome chain options. 

Shark Tooth and Skulls Necklace

This shark tooth and skull necklace is perfect for anyone who wants to throw an edgy piece into their look. The necklace has a fossilized North American sand tiger shark tooth surrounded by black and silver beads and silver skulls. There are end coils on both sides of the beads to make sure the necklace stays intact, and you don’t lose a skull the next time you take the necklace off. 

Bull Shark Tooth Pendant

Bull sharks cruise the shallow and warm waters of all the world’s oceans and have even made their way into freshwater rivers. (Yikes!) Don’t get too scared, though; freshwater shark interactions are few and far between. They can be a little sassy, so embrace your inner bull shark when you wear this shark tooth! This pendant honors the bull shark with a tooth from its upper jaw. It is wrapped in gold wire, and you can add a chain if you want to wear the tooth as a necklace. 

Mako Shark Tooth Pendant

This pendant comes from the Mako shark, which is known for traveling at a lightning-fast speed. These sharks can swim up to 42 miles an hour and swim long distances to get food. They have a dark blue-black with metallic blue sides. With the largest brain to body ratio of all sharks, they are brilliant! They have impressive critical reasoning and social skills. Embrace the Mako shark’s energy through this pendant. You can purchase the pendant by itself or with a cord to wear as a necklace. 

Fossil Shark Tooth Surfboard Shaped Keychain

Not a jewelry lover, but still admire sharks and their history? We’ve got you covered! This adorable keychain will add some extra personality to any boring house or car keys you have lying around. The keychain contains a medium-sized fossilized North African shark tooth, set in a colorful surfboard-shaped body. It’s perfect for any surfers out there looking for protection. The keychain comes in black, sparkly green, sparkly purple, sparkly blue, and sparkly orange. Something that can fit anyone’s style!  

It’s totally okay to be terrified of sharks; we can’t blame you! But we hope you can appreciate them a little more now that you know their history and significance to humans. There’s more to them than just looking vicious and biting people’s legs off in movies. Wear a shark tooth necklace to celebrate the shark’s qualities, and watch out for a Megalodon tooth next time you’re in the ocean...DUN DUN DUN! (Just kidding!)