Solid recycled Sterling Silver pendants cast from an actual Paua (Abalone) shell available in three sizes. The curves and intricate detail of this iconic New Zealand shell are beautifully captured in this handcrafted design.
Note: no cute little baby pāua were harmed in the making of this pendant, it is cast from a mould taken off a shell found on the beach!
Paua Size: Large 34mm (1.36 in), Small 22mm (0.86 in), Extra Small 17mm (0.7 in).
Chain length: Large 480mm (18.9 in), others 45cm (17.7 in), Different length of chain available by request.
Note: at present chains are not sourced from recycled sterling silver.
Also available as earrings
While they’re are known as ‘abalone’ in other countries, larger pāua can mostly be found in the fresh, cold seas of the lower North Island, South Island, Chatham Island and Stewart Island. They are caught by free-diving.
To make pāua babies, the male and female pāua wait until the perfect time (they just know) and then, together, eject millions of eggs or sperm into the water at the same time through those holes you see in their shells. It then mingles, becomes pāua lavae, and some will one day head down to start life as a rock dwelling adult pāua.
New Zealand’s pāua industry is managed by strict quotas, which will only allow a certain amount of them to be harvested each year, with severe penalties for those who break the law. This makes for a sustainable fishery.
