In antiquity, the conch shell was regarded by the
Incas and many early cultures as a symbolic
mouthpiece of the gods. "Perhaps it was because,
when held to the ear, the voice of the sea god
murmured through it" (Diclzinson, 1968, p. 7).
Although there is no specific reference in the
literature to "pearls" obtained from S. gigas before
the mid-1800s, it is reasonable to believe that they
were found and used in jewelry, along with
nacreous pearls.