Natural Materials - Mother of Pearl and Shells

Much of our jewellery, bags and accessories are made or decorated with natural materials which includes mother of pearl and shells.

Click here for the full page on natural materials used. 

 

Mother of Pearl

Mother of pearl, also known as nacre, is the composite material produced by some molluscs. It is a very favoured material because not only is it beautiful, being iridescent, but is also extremely strong and resilient so making it a good material to work with.

 

Cowrie Shells

Cowrie or cowry is the common name for the shells of sea snails. The shells are usually egg shaped, shiny and porcelain like which makes them favoured for jewellery and decorative purposes. They are found worldwide in tropical and sub-tropical seas.

 

Paua Shell

Also known as abalone, paua is the Maori name given to three species of sea snail (haliotid) which are found in New Zealand, the three species are: silver paua, paua, and virgin paua. Of these paua is the most common and grows up to 18cm in length. They are found in shallow coastal waters along rocky shoreline. The Maori have traditionally prized them both as a food source and for the use of the shell for jewellery and crafts. The interior of the shell is iridescent and is usually of intense green, purple and blue, though sometimes pink too.