Tridacnidae is the name given to a species of giant clams. This family contains the largest living bivalve species, Tridacna Gigas, which is the most endangered clam species alive today. Our giant clamshells, Tridacna Gigantea, are an extinct species, much older, larger and rarer. They are so old, in fact, that the clamshells have fossilized. This process has transformed the calcium compound of the shell structure into aragonite, meaning the nacre layer revealed is now made of actual crystal. The surface has become glassy and shines with luster and an array of colors, making each piece completely unique.

 

These clams became extinct around 180,000 years ago, during the later Pleistocene period, when sea levels suddenly rose by about 65 feet. As a result of the sea rise, the algae living in symbiosis with the clam could not get enough sunlight for ‘photosynthesis’, thereby starving the Gigantea to death. Tridacna Gigantea, sometimes containing baroque blister pearls, are the most rare and unique shells known to exist. In our collection, we actually have the largest baroque blister pearl ever found, with both sides of the shell in perfect condition.

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Tridacna Gigantea shells are found deeply embedded in ancient limestone quarries of East Africa, anywhere from 3-23 feet in depth and are usually broken. The depth and size of the shells tells us of its history and age. Each shell takes a skilled worker up to 6 months to excavate and a further 2 months to clean and polish using diamond tools. From start to finish, it can take up to 6 months before the shell starts to reveal its natural beauty, hidden beneath the fossilized layers, the finished pieces being described as ‘music for your eyes’.

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Tridacna Gigantea are also the largest species of the Tridacnidae family. The biggest one in our collection has a staggering weight of 992 pounds. We also have a single clamshell which weighs 496 pounds after being cleaned and polished. Comparatively, the biggest Tridacna Gigas was found in Okinawa, Japan, in 1956, only weighing in at around half that.
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Over a period of 30 years, marine conservationist, Volker Bassen, has searched for these shells along the East African coast for his own research, creating this private collection. In 2016, he decided to share their beauty with the world and sell these natural treasures to help fund his women’s outreach projects in Kenya, one of these projects being WonderCup.