Sterling Silver Mounted Round Abalone Pendant

The meaning of the abalone is that of comfort, a connection with the ocean, the cycle of life, protection and ancient travel.

Native tribes on the west coast of North America used abalone shells as currency. Today in South Africa, the abalone is still much sought after, and its shells, which are known to have an especially colorful iridescence, are very valuable.

Nacre (also called mother of pearl), is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs. It is a hard, shining, iridescent material. It is formed in the inner shell of some of the more ancient lineages of bivalves, gastropods, and cephalopods to repair their damaged shells or to cover some objects inside of them. This is used by some pearl pickers, placing certain small items inside molluscs, knowing they will be covered in nacre, forming pearls or other valuable objects. The molluscs that produce the most beautiful nacre are the Abalone and the Nautilida, among other. Nacre is used in medicine for skin care, as an exfoliant.