This A-Grade Large NZ Paua Shell is beautifully polished to show off the incredibly beauty of New Zealand's native abalone shell. The shell measures approximately 12cm (5") long. Paua shell is New Zealand's native abalone, Haliotis iris, found only in NZ waters. No two shells are the same, but all are beautiful. The shell contains irridescent shades of blue, green, pink and purple. Maori consider paua to be taonga, a treasure, as they are an important seafood as well as the shell being used in arts and crafts. Paua shell is frequently used to represent eyes in Maori carvings. The shell is often transformed into jewellery, or used in homewares to give a distinctly Kiwi look to an item. On their own, the shells are used as receptacles for jewellery and other small items. The shell is a by-product of paua farming, with the paua collected under a strict quota system.
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