Sea Turtle Shell Family Suncatcher Chain

Handmade stained glass hanging featuring a chain of three sea turtles, each one carrying a little piece of Florida’s coastline within its shell.

The largest turtle is crafted from soft pink glass and features a rose petal tellin shell, followed by a blue sea turtle with a lightning whelk shell, and finally a green sea turtle with a king’s crown shell tucked into its design. Together they form a tiny sea turtle family connected in a flowing chain that catches the light beautifully.

Each turtle is individually hand-drawn and crafted, making every piece completely one of a kind—no two stained glass pieces are ever exactly the same. The combination of colorful glass and real shells found in the Everglades gives the piece an organic coastal feel inspired directly by Florida’s wild landscapes.

Rose petal tellins are known for their delicate shape and soft pink coloring, often found along sandy shorelines and shallow coastal waters. Lightning whelks are one of the most recognizable Florida shells, famous for their rare left-handed spiral that twists opposite from most shells. King’s crown shells are named for their pointed ridges that resemble the top of a crown and are often found in warm Gulf and Atlantic waters around Florida.

I’ve always loved collecting shells in the Everglades and along Florida’s coast because every shell feels like a tiny artifact from the ocean—shaped slowly by tides, storms, and time. Combining them with stained glass lets each piece carry a little real connection to the places that inspire my work most.