shop what's new gem journeys
wishlists my shopping bag
 

paua - tangaroa's gift
Nicknamed the "sea opal," the wonderful deep blue-green iridescent colors of paua make it the most colorful of all of the abalone.
The paua's inner surface is made up of very fine layers of a calcium carbonate salt called aragonite , of which there are approximately 450 to 5000 layers for each 1/25 of an inch thickness.
Each paua shell is different in its color, as are the patterns within the shell.
Paua fishing is highly regulated by the New Zealand government. The shellfish are found clinging to rocks in the inter-tidal region down to depths of 50 feet all around New Zealand and can only be harvested by divers using a snorkel (no scuba). Size limits also apply.
 iridescent rapture
The New Zealand abalone, haliotis iris, commonly known by its M�ori name, paua (pronounced "pah-wah"), is a nocturnal, herbivorous mollusk, belonging to a primitive group of marine snails of the class Gastropoda, the largest of all gastropods.

paua koru (spiral) dish
photo: kiwi iconz

Out of approximately one-hundred species of abalone in the world, this New Zealand abalone possesses the greatest range of color and iridescence. A New Zealand icon, it's also the most valuable abalone.

haayugm ganhada, spirit raven headdress
photo: tsimshian gallery

When viewed at different angles, paua shell colors change -- which is what makes paua such an interesting material for use in jewelry.
The black patterns in the shell come from layers of protein that are laid down between the layers of calcium that make up the shell. The iridescence and brilliant colors in the mother-or-pearl layer are caused by the physical interaction between the crystals and light waves, as well as diet and genetic factors

symbolic attributes

metaphysical
planetary stone Neptune
energy receptive / yin
planet Moon
element water