Candyman’s Live Basket

🐚 Candyman19876 — Abalone Shell No. 9

New Zealand Abalone / Pāua Shell — £33.00

You picked an absolutely beautiful one! 💙 No. 9 has particularly striking deep blue iridescence across the inside, and at approximately hand-size, this is a lovely substantial shell rather than one of the smaller pieces.

A little about your shell…

These beautiful abalone shells originate from New Zealand, where abalone — known locally as pāua — is a protected and carefully managed natural resource. Harvesting is controlled by strict quotas, limiting how much can legally be collected each year.

The shell was then sent to the Philippines to be professionally worked and polished. The naturally rough outer surface has been carefully polished back to reveal the incredible nacre hidden beneath, meaning you can enjoy that gorgeous natural iridescence from both sides of the shell.

The blues, greens, silvers and flashes of rainbow colour are completely natural — created by layers of nacre (mother-of-pearl) built by the living abalone as it grew. No two shells will ever have exactly the same colour, markings or pattern.

🌊 What lived inside?
Abalone are marine molluscs — essentially large sea snails! They live attached firmly to rocky coastal surfaces and use a powerful muscular foot to cling to the rock while grazing on algae and seaweed.

The distinctive row of holes along the shell is also completely natural. As the abalone grows, new respiratory holes form while older ones gradually close. The open holes allow water to pass through the animal’s gills and also help remove waste.

Your shell is therefore a genuine natural piece, with its individual shape, markings and imperfections forming part of its story.

📦 Postage

Please select SMALL POSTAGE at checkout.

Your parcel will be posted directly to your home address, rather than to a collection locker, so please don’t worry about that.

Thank you so much for your first purchase with Starshine Minerals — and welcome! ✨

Rare • Reactive • Remarkable