Easy Inlay Paua Abalone

Paua Abalone is a unique species of abalone found only in New Zealand’s environmentally pure coastal waters. The interior shell is extremely colorful and exhibits opalescent blues, rich greens, and luminous fiery flashes. Often used for jewelry, woodworkers and other craft artists are now using this exquisite material as inlay in their projects. Our chips range in size from 5 – 15mm; 2 ounces contain a few hundred pieces in various shapes.

 On the Mohs Hardness Scale, Paua Abalone has a hardness of 2.5 and is easily sanded using silicon carbine (carborundum) or aluminum oxide (corundum) sand paper, which has a hardness of 9.0. It is durable and provides an excellent surface to polish and/or finish. 

Note that these products are made from nature: there may be variations in color and minor impurities which add to the overall natural aesthetic.