Paua Shell Jewelry From New Zealand | Paua Abalone Necklaces, Bracelets, Rings...

Paua shell is one of nature's treasures. This is a selection of some of the most beautiful pieces of paua shell jewelry. Together the sparkling, dazzling colors of one of mother Nature's finest gems combined with high quality sterling silver and gold form the most beautiful pieces of jewelry.

The dazzling colors and hues of paua shell jewelry on this page are completely natural. Only polishing is used to emphasize the true colors of the shell.

Although the pictures don't do the stunning rainbow colors justice you might get an idea of which wonderful things are made from this unique source from the sea.

Personally I think this is a masterpiece. This sterling silver and paua shell bracelet is one of my favorites. The bracelet is hand made according a Hopi Indian process. Learn more about the symbolics and creation of this wonderful design here.

This paua ring is hand made by Nick Feint.*

This large Nick Feint Stone Arrow ring captures a piece of natural beauty within carefully crafted Sterling Silver.

The highly polished piece of prized New Zealand Paua ( abalone) shell incorporates the mollusc's natural breathing hole. It is encased in a large, solid piece of Sterling Silver.

The top of the ring measures approximately 3/4" (19mm) across, and is set on a 10mm (just under 1/4") band.

* 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.

This necklace combines iridescent abalone shell (including blue paua, or New Zealand abalone, on the pendant) and chrysacolla (azurite and malachite), with silvertone accents.

It has all the lovely colors of the sea on a summer day. The wave design on the metal pendant echoes the oceanic theme. The necklace is 23" long exclusive of the pendant, which is about 1" across. It is shipped in a padded animal-print gift box. (It is possible to buy the pendant separately.) View more and bigger photo's here

Originally designed for a friend who was going overseas for a year, this necklace served as a reminder to her of where she was from and where she could always return - return to home.

The single pearl symbolized the individual leaving and the paua represents the base to which they can always return to feeling safe and secure. New Zealand is truly a wonderful place to call home.

Materials:
Paua
Sterling Silver
Tiger Tail Wire
Man Made Tahitian Pearls

Return To Home -Pacific Grace- Paua Necklace

Paua Shell set in a linked Sterling Silver collar. Will be shipped in a jewelry display case. See more of these.

Nick Feint's Sterling Silver Spiral Paua Choker is a work of art.

It is a stunning piece, sure to bring you favorable comments and queries as to where it has come from. And you can tell them that Nick Feint from New Zealand handmade this gorgeous piece of sterling silver jewelry for you.

Visit the shop for more info.

Pieces of paua are threaded onto a threaded cord and connected with a shell button as the clasp.

This bracelet is 7.08 inches (18 cm long). Click here to learn more or to buy.

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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

The items on this photo are sterling silver pendants with paua shell inlays. More paua shell necklace pendants

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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

This is a selection of one of New Zealands finest Paua jewelry stores. Many of the products they offer are unique and sold out really quickly.


Visit the Bone Art shop for more gorgeous products.

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.

The band of this beautiful watch is made almost entirely with paua shells. The watch face is mother of pearl surrounded by jet black Swarovski crystals. The band is stretchy for comfort.

See more pictures here.

• 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.

The paua shell eyes in Maori carvings make these artifacts real lively giving them a powerful mysterious appearance. This was reason for 19th century foreign missionaries to destroy many of these art works. They believed the heretic sculptures were creations of the devil.

Paua or Blue pearls are truly spectacular New Zealand gems.

The vast majority of these pearls are cultured. These so called Mabé pearls (pronounced 'mar-bay') are produced by fixing an insert into the shell.

After some time the paua starts to overlay the insert with its nacre. (pronounced 'nay-ka') This are the crystals that give the paua shell its iridescence appearance. The Paua pearl making process takes about 1 to 3 years.

Finally the result is a gorgeous iridescent colored pearl. The quality and value of the pearl is measured by its iridiscence, color, shape and then its size.

Some prices shown on this page are in New Zealand dollars, others are in US dollars. (1 US dollar is about 1,40 NZ dollars) In any case buying genuine paua jewelry at New Zealand shops is convenient and easy.

Orders can be paid with credit cards and in some cases also with checks and Paypal. The shops have a money back guarantee of which one shop even 356 days!

Shipping costs are comparable with Amazon's rates. So shopping in New Zealand for genuine paua shell jewelry is not only convenient but fun as well.

Polished paua shells are very popular souvenirs with their striking green, blue, and purple changing colors.

You have to be careful when ordering complete paua shells from New Zeeland. The export of these shells is protected and regulated by law and only a few companies are allowed to export paua. This regulation is only for un-processed shell.

Silverfernz is one of the several New Zealand companies who have whole paua abalone shells for sale.

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Fully Polished Paua Shell

Price:NZ$18.95

Are you planning to search New Zealand's beaches to find paua shells yourself? Then you'll need to know which beaches to visit, how to clean the shell and how to drill a hole into. The pauamana website gives you many answers to these questions. If your question isn't in the FAQ you can also mail them. (Non New Zealand inhabitants can't take paua shell with them because of export restrictions)

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Paua Shell Fishhook Pendant

Our Price:NZD$20.95

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Paua Shell Fishhook Pendant

Our Price:NZD$20.95

• 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.

Photo: robynejay (CC licensed)

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.

Paua is not only highly valued for its brilliantly colored oval shells. It has also been used as an ingredient in health supplements since the start of the 17th century. Especially by the Chinese and Maori peoples.

Paua has a very rich mineral and vitamin content and contains 25 vitamins and minerals including omega 3 acids and B12. It is thought to stimulate vitality by energy renewal, improve eyesight and enhance the function of the spleen and liver.

Paua Abalone is an eco friendly product. Strict fishing regulations and a quota system have been implemented to protect the Paua (Abalone) species sustainability. Paua fishers are only allowed to free dive and the meat of the shellfish is used as a delicacy being exported to many countries.