Nantucket Chocolatier Legends and Lore

Unlock the Art, Science, Mystery and History of Chocolate

Cranberry Creations™ Chocolates

Artisan Chocolate Assortments

Wedding and Party Favors

Art, Science, History and Romance of Chocolate



		Romance of the Sailor’s Valentine

		The Story of Chocolate

		Chocolate is Health Food

		How to Taste Chocolate

		How to Spot Good Quality Chocolate

		History of Nantucket Chocolatier (Part 1)

		History of Nantucket Chocolatier (Part 2)

		Inspiration from the Sea

Romance of the Sailor’s Valentine

In the early 1800s most Americans gave their sweethearts either hand-written letters or commercially available cards (see an example here) on Valentine's day (quick Valentine's Day History here). But American sailors of the era were inventing a new gift of love, eventually christened the Sailor's Valentine.

19th Century Sewing Box
adorned with seashells

Nantucket whalers, in particular, mingled often with sailors from European merchant ships at ports of call, such as Barbados. There, they learned of European ladies' fascination with exotic shells. Especially coveted by the growing European middle class, tiny seashells were geometrically composed in glass covered boxes, displayed under glass domes and fashioned by ladies into elegant floral decoupage that adorned sewing boxes, etc.

19th Century
Sailor's Valentine

As his ship awaited supplies or repair, many a lonely sailor filled his days gathering and crafting gifts for his loved ones in anticipation of his homeward journey. With the American temperament of independence and one-upmanship, it's easy to imagine that first sailor deftly placing exotic seashells in an empty compass case to originate his own, unique shell art form for his lady back home.

It wasn't long before making these octagonal, shell-filled boxes became a cottage industry, especially in Barbados, busiest of the ports. Soon, sailors were bringing home shell boxes made by another's hand, with sentiments like "to thee from thine" and "love the giver" spelled out perfectly in the King's English.

Today, original sailor's valentines are rare and very expensive; most are held in public and private collections.

21st Century
Sailor's Valentine

Renewed interest in this romantic art form has inspired artists to create breathtaking pieces for a new century. Complex designs and specimen quality shells arranged in wedding cake-like bouquets are centered in magnificently crafted boxes inlaid with exotic woods -- one-upmanship prevails.

You can see these extraordinary artistic creations at The Sailor's Valentine Gallery on Nantucket Island. For 25 years, curator Carolyn Walsh has been featuring exhibits of the most esteemed contemporary Sailor's Valentine Artists.

Nantucket Chocolatier Sailor's Valentine Keepsake Tin

Sailor's Valentine Keepsake Tin
with Original Drawings

Inspired by the romance of the sailor's valentine, Nantucket chocolatiers John West and Denise Glückert approached renowned Nantucket artist Barbara Capizzo, in the early 1990s, with an idea to revitalize the sailor's valentine for the modern romantic.

Their mission was to design and create a replica of the sailor's valentine using only seashells from Nantucket shores. Barbara's love of Nantucket and its natural beauty, combined with her artistic mastery of pastel colors and fine detail, proved be the perfect artist to paint the original artwork for the Nantucket Chocolatier's Sailors Valentine Keepsake Tin. Expertly crafted by American tinsmiths in 1997, this romantic, limited edition tin has been filled with Nantucket Artisan Chocolates and presented as a unique gift of love all over the world.

Sailor's Valentine Keepsake Tin
Cranberry Creations chocolates

This year, the Nantucket chocolatiers have been inspired to fill the Sailor's Valentine Keepsake Tin with a customer favorite, Cranberry Creations chocolate covered cranberries.

What could be a more romantic, personal expression of love than a one-of-a-kind, Sailor's Valentine that is available nowhere else on Earth?

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