Which sea turtle provides the source of tortoiseshell used in jewelry?

• A. Green sea turtle
• B. Hawksbill sea turtle
• C. Leatherback sea turtle
• D. Olive Ridley sea turtle

Answer: (B)

Tortoiseshell jewelry comes from the hawksbill sea turtle because its shell is made of thin, overlapping keratin plates (scutes) that create the distinctive, mottled pattern long admired for carving and inlay work. This unique material has historically been used to fashion decorative items like combs, buttons, and jewelry. The other sea turtles don’t provide this same material: green sea turtles have a more uniform, greenish shell, leatherbacks have a leathery, soft-feeling carapace rather than hard scutes, and Olive Ridleys don’t produce the patterned keratin resource that collectors sought for tortoiseshell pieces. So the hawksbill is the source associated with tortoiseshell jewelry.