Abalone Shell Necklace

What could be your best offering around the neck of your loved one than an abalone shell necklace? In folklore, abalone is known as the rainbow stone which is believed to strengthen the muscles of the wearer.

Abalone is a small marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae from the genus Haliotis. There us only one genus Haliotidae family with its four to seven sub-genera. The number of species known world wide is around 100. It is also known as ear shell, sea ear or Venus’ ear.

The thick inner layer of the shell is highly iridescent, giving rise to a strong and changeable color, making the shell an attractive decoration. The flesh of the abalone is widely consumed as an exotic food. The abalone shell is not considered like the pearls which have to be round and pearly white. It becomes jewelry in its original form; it is not subjected to any type of processing such as bleaching and buffing.

You can make your own abalone necklace. You will need the following materials: a number of abalone shells, a roll of thin leather according to length of your necklace and small screwdriver the kind used in repairing glasses. Procedure: Wash shells very well with warm water and non-abrasive soap. Then feel the softest part of the shell; this is the part where you poke a hole using the tiny screw driver. Repeat making holes to the rest of the shells, cut a desired length of the thin leather. Then string it with the holes you created. Tie the two ends. You have created a beautiful home-made piece.

Clean the shell by using a soft cloth dipped in lukewarm water. Do not use an abrasive cleaner. Abalone shells are quite fragile so they must be handled with caution. If you take care of your abalone shell necklace, it will be able to serve you for many years.