Think Twice About Your Shark Tooth

Why you Should Think Twice about Buying That Shark Tooth Necklace

So you love the ocean, and you want to show that love by wearing a shark tooth necklace. You’ve probably heard before that sharks may have up to 3,000 teeth in their mouth. For a number of reasons they lose around 100 a day, naturally. But most companies that sell shark teeth don’t find them on the ocean floor or washed up on the beach. Instead, they pay for shark teeth which have been taken straight from the mouth of sharks that are pulled out of their ocean homes and killed.


Sharks are killed for their fins, livers, and teeth. And they’re being killed at an alarming rate. So, when buying shark tooth jewelry, it’s important to make sure that you can find out the source of the tooth. Most purveyors of shark tooth jewelry buy their teeth in bulk from producers who get them through the culling of sharks. And killing sharks has terrible consequences. The ecosystem of the ocean is so delicate and all of its inhabitants contribute to a food web which can easily be upset by removing too many of any species.


Many small communities that survive off of the money they make from fishing, rely on sharks to induce schooling. This is when pods of prey fish come together in single locations that fishers can access. Other predators such as dolphins and birds of prey also rely on sharks, in some cases, to help gather prey fish in one spot. Sharks also hunt sick and injured fish, removing them from the ocean, which is essential for the health of many species of fish and the quality of the ocean’s water.


But you can buy shark tooth jewelry because teeth can be found on the shore or when diving!


Brands like Elizabeth Sarah Collections (@elizabethsarahcollections on IG) are a good example of how you can buy shark teeth sustainably. Elizabeth happens to live on a beach where shark teeth frequently wash ashore. She finds her shark teeth on walks she takes at her local beach and scouts locations to travel to for the purpose of collecting teeth! Brands like hers, which are transparent about their teeth source, are great examples of how to ethically create beautiful shark tooth jewelry.


We can all make a difference by putting in a little effort when it comes to our purchases. By not being an apathetic consumer, you can create real change by showing companies what you’re willing to buy based on how ethical the product’s production is.

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