Paua Shell Jewelry | Stunning Paua Abalone Necklaces, Bracelets, Rings...

* Nick Feint is a renowned stone carver with his own jewelry manufacturing studio near the Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand. Some more of his art work

• At the University of California, San Diego, materials scientists are studying abalone's strong calcium carbonate tiled structure for using this knowledge into a creating a new type of bullet-proof body armor.



• Sometimes if you'll stand on a (fresh) paua shell it might dye your foot black or purple. This is due to the fact that paua have some sort of bladder or ammonia sac which will stain skin purple.



• Some say it is the abundant kelp in the fresh non polluted waters of the southern oceans that gives the paua shell its beautiful green color.

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Sterling Silver & Paua Square Earrings

Price:NZ$22.95

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Sterling Silver & Paua Flower Earrings

Price:NZ$22.95

Many centuries ago a sea snail named Paua had no shell to protect itself. One day, Tangaroa, the god of the sea, found out about Paua's problem and made him a a unique type of overlay. Tangaoa said: "I will take from my domain the coolest blues of the ocean. And ask of my brother Tane the freshest greens of the forest. From the dawn you shall have a tinge of violet. From the sunset a blush of pink. And overall there will be a shimmer of mother of pearl".

So happened and the god of the sea had created a marvelous coat that sparkled and dazzled with its beauty. Other sea creatures however, were jealous of Paua's new looks and since Paua's new overlay was fragile it was soon demolished.

Of course Tangaroa soon found out and reacted by consolidating Paua's shell with additional layers. These were of the coolest blues of the ocean, the freshest greens of the forest, the violet of the dawn and the pink of the sunset. He completed the shell with a camouflaged coating. This way Paua could blend in with the drab browns and grays of the rocks.

Tangaroa then instructed Paua with the life-long task of adding layer upon delicate layer, each with a different color, hue and blend. So it was that Paua got his shell.

He keeps the secret of his inner beauty to himself and only at the end of his life, when his empty shell washes ashore, his artistry is revealed.

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Dolphin Paua Shell Pendant

Our Price:NZ$20.95

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Natural Paua Shell and Resin Tiki Pendant

Our Price:NZ$30.95

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Koru Paua Shell Pendant

Price:NZ$20.95

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Koru Paua Shell Pendant

Price:NZ$15.95

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Freeform Koru Paua Shell Pendant

Price:NZ$20.95

Paua is one of the many different Abalone species. Its scientific name is Haliotis Iris. This type of abalone are commonly found in New Zealand's coastal waters along rocky shorelines in depths of 1 to 15 meters.

Members of the Haliotis family are also called sea ears, Venus' ears or ear shells as their shape resembles the human ear. In Australia they are also named muttonfish or muttonshells. In South Africa they say perlemoen.

The Maori word "Paua" itself refers to the actual sea snail living in the shell. Both the paua meat and the shells are a well sought after item.

• Maori preferred to use paua shell inlays for the eyes in their carvings. In Maori mythology the paua eyes are called mata-a-ruru (eyes of the owl) and signify that the carved being is all-seeing and all-wise.



• When the mythological villain Kae wanted to fool people into thinking he was awake he would put pieces of paua shell on his eyelids. This is from the Maori legend; Tinirau and his pet whale. You can read the legend here.

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Fully Polished Paua Shell

Price:NZ$18.95

• There are specially trained detector dogs who are used to cut down the illegal export of paua from New Zealand. Read more about it in this article.



• Sea otters use rocks in order to crack open the shell so they can eat the abalone.

Paua shell is known for its iridescence, the change of colors when one looks at it from different angles or when light intensity varies. This iridescence (goniochromism) is the same effect that appears on insect wings, soap bubbles, opals and pearls.

The word iridescence is partially derived from the Greek word iris, meaning "rainbow".

Paua shell is the most colorful of all sea shells and also of other Abalone shells. Its bright blue and intense green colors are dominant but are also interchanged with purple and sometimes pink tonings.

These wonderful natural aspects were reason for the Maori people to use parts of the shell in their jewelry. Many times it was used to represent the eyes in their works of art.