unwind® did you know? | the value of cowrie

Photo: Kandu Boli Ritual at CHI Spa, Shangri-La Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives

Did you know that cowrie shells were used as currency in the 13th century? Some African natives valued these sea-treasures more than gold itself, while the Chinese fashioned their Classical Chinese Character (貝) for money after the cowrie. These shells are found in abundance on the beautiful shores in the Maldives and as per the accounts of Ibn Batuta, the famous Moroccan traveler, as many as 40 ships loaded with cowrie shells were exported each year. What was the worth of these porcelain shells? A single gold Dinar was worth 400,000 cowrie shells!

Apart from the monetary value, the cowrie shells are often used as jewelry, symbol for womanhood, fertility and wealth. And most recently, the Shangri-La Villingili Resort & Spa Maldives has introduced the "Kandu Boli Ritual," an extraordinary cowrie shell based treatment complimented with hot coconut oil, drawing inspiration from indigenous treatments and the calming energy from the sea, guaranteed to nourish your soul and relax your body.