A Young Lad's Cabinet of Curiosities

Meet James, a 15-year-old diver who occasionally supplies me with juvenile kina. When he showed me his collection, I knew we'd get along: shelves of shells, cow bones and teeth, bird skulls, a crayfish body and all sorts of other curious things. Of course I had to take a closer look!

His cabinet reminded me of some pieces from my own archives. I once turned a snapper jawbone I found while beachcombing into a gold-plated necklace. A crayfish pincer became a pendant, too. Both have since found new homes.

I came home with fresh ideas for the other non-shell treasures I've collected. A few are waiting on my workbench now, and I'm curious to see what they'll become. I'll show you when they're ready.