MZANSI IS shocked, horrified and confused.
People are all asking the same question.
WHAT KIND OF PERSON WEARS HUMAN TEETH AS JEWELLERY?!
Nobody walks around the streets selling human teeth and shops don’t stock it – but the jewellery exists and is offered for sale. The pieces range from necklaces to rings with some pieces priced from R374 to R1268.
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Jeweller Ethan Andrews, who asked that his jewellery store not be named, told Daily Sun he’d created a human teeth necklace.
“The client brought the teeth and paid R45 000 for the job. He said I must keep quiet and I didn’t ask any questions,” said Ethan.
He said people preferred front teeth or canines, the sharp pointy ones for tearing tough food with. “I can confirm that it’s not an easy job,” said Ethan.
He said the teeth must be carefully extracted, so that the root of the tooth isn’t damaged.
That’s where the holes are made for passing the necklace cord.
He was aware of human teeth being sold on the black market, but sometimes human teeth are found embedded in carved objects. “Human tooth necklaces have been documented in Fiji, Kiribati Islands and New Zealand,” he said.
“I was interested in where the teeth came from. All I could think about was people’s dead bodies. I’m not saying they don’t steal teeth from graves and mortuaries.
“The people who brought the teeth have no idea where they came from.”
Ethan said he doesn’t understand why people are interested in walking around with other people’s teeth on their bodies. “Whether the teeth came from the ancestors or from the mouths of enemies, each tooth would have been viewed as a representation or an embodiment of the deceased,” he said. He said he only did the one necklace although he’s had many requests.
His research was purely out of curiosity and he didn’t want anything further to do with creating human teeth necklaces and rings. “I think it’s inhuman and dark. This is a higher level of not caring what people think. I hope they find peace.”
Johan Rousseau of the Funeral Industry Reformed Association told Daily Sun he was aware of teeth being sold on the black market. “This jewellery is seen on social media and people are questioning if their loved ones in graves still have their teeth.”
Jefferson Matlala said his dead sister had beautiful teeth. “I’m wondering if her teeth even made it to the grave.”
Samantha Moyo said: “These are human teeth and they probably came from dead people. This is really disturbing. I hope someone will get to the bottom of this.
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“Now I’m wondering if my mum still has teeth in her grave.”
Dentist, Dr Paul Mathai said he knows about human teeth jewellery and no dentist is allowed to donate someone else’s teeth, unless it’s the owner. “Luckily we haven’t had anyone asking us to donate teeth. There are also cultural issues to consider, not forgetting that these are hazardous.”
Another dentist, Dr Sarah Sanderson said people have asked her to donate teeth and some have even offered her money to get those teeth. “I’m very well aware of human teeth jewellery, but some people use their own teeth.
“I’ve heard that some are sold in black markets, but we’re not allowed to donate or sell people’s teeth” she said.
Rousseau (Fira) said not only teeth can be stolen from dead bodies, but other body parts like, hearts, livers, kidneys and others can also be stolen as well.
“They can be illegally removed for medical purposes.
“Without any regulation, people’s body parts are not safe and government should look into these issues.”