▁of ▁small ▁sea ▁shell s ▁of ▁various ▁colors ▁gl ued ▁onto ▁a ▁backing . ▁Pattern s ▁often ▁feature ▁a ▁center pie ce ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁comp ass ▁rose ▁or ▁a ▁heart ▁design , ▁hence ▁the ▁name , ▁and ▁in ▁some ▁cases ▁the ▁small ▁shell s ▁are ▁used ▁to ▁spell ▁out ▁a ▁mot to ▁or ▁sentiment al ▁message . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁name ▁seems ▁to ▁suggest ▁that ▁the ▁sail ors ▁themselves ▁made ▁these ▁objects , ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁them ▁origin ated ▁in ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Barb ados , ▁which ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁se ap ort ▁during ▁this ▁period . ▁Histor ians ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁women ▁on ▁Barb ados ▁made ▁the ▁val ent ines ▁using ▁local ▁shell s , ▁or ▁in ▁some ▁cases ▁using ▁shell s ▁imported ▁from ▁Indones ia , ▁and ▁then ▁the ▁finished ▁products ▁were ▁sold ▁to ▁the ▁sail ors . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁book ▁S ail ors ' ▁Valent ines , ▁John ▁F ond as ▁con cludes ▁that ▁the ▁primary ▁source ▁for ▁sail or ' s ▁val ent ines ▁was ▁the ▁New ▁Cur ios ity ▁Sh op , ▁located ▁in ▁McG reg or ▁Street , ▁Br idget own , ▁Barb ados , ▁a ▁popular ▁shop ▁where ▁sail ors ▁would ▁purchase ▁sou ven irs . ▁The ▁shop ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁English ▁brothers ▁B . H . ▁and ▁George ▁Bel gra ve . ▁F ond as ▁rec ount s ▁that ▁while ▁an ▁ant ique ▁sail or ' s ▁val ent ine ▁was ▁being ▁rep a ired ▁and ▁re construct ed , ▁pieces