Judging quality
Real nacre shows fine growth banding and slight surface unevenness; printed resin imitations repeat a pattern. Paua is a protected fishery and legitimate material is farmed or licensed.
Organic
Abalone Shell
The nacreous inner shell of the abalone sea snail, layered aragonite platelets that scatter light into peacock blues and greens. New Zealand paua is the most saturated; California red abalone runs pink and silver.
Care
Soft and organic. Keep out of salt, heat and direct sun, which dulls the nacre.
History & lore
Abalone shells are used across the Pacific as vessels and inlay, and appear in Māori carving as the eyes of ancestral figures.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Abalone Shell
- What is Abalone Shell?
- The nacreous inner shell of the abalone sea snail, layered aragonite platelets that scatter light into peacock blues and greens. New Zealand paua is the most saturated; California red abalone runs pink and silver.
- How hard is Abalone Shell and what is it made of?
- Abalone Shell is a Organic-family mineral with the composition CaCO3 (nacre). It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and rates 3.5-4 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in iridescent, blue-green, rainbow.
- Where does Abalone Shell come from?
- Notable localities for Abalone Shell include California, USA, New Zealand (paua), Mexico, South Africa.
- How do you tell good Abalone Shell from filler?
- Real nacre shows fine growth banding and slight surface unevenness; printed resin imitations repeat a pattern. Paua is a protected fishery and legitimate material is farmed or licensed.
- How do you care for Abalone Shell?
- Soft and organic. Keep out of salt, heat and direct sun, which dulls the nacre.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.