Chatham Island and mainland New Zealand Paua/Abalone shell grades
Grade: J1H
Origin
Shells per KG
Chatham Islands
6-7
Shell size
Colour
13-16cm
Best blue/green paua colour
Thickness
Quality
2-3mm
Trophy Shells. The thickest best coloured shell available. Top 1-2% of Chatham Shells.
Uses
- - Trophy or specimen shell
- - Jewellery
- - Polished shell
- - Ornamental and décor
- - Furniture inlay
Grade: J1
Origin
Shells per KG
Chatham Islands
6-7
Shell size
Colour
13-16cm
Excellent blue/green colour
Thickness
Quality
1.5-2.5mm
The best 5-10% of Chatham Shells.
Uses
- - Trophy or specimen shell
- - Jewellery
- - Polished shell
- - Ornamental and décor
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
Grade: J2H
Origin
Shells per KG
Chatham Islands
6-7
Shell size
Colour
13-16cm
Good blue/green colour to backside after slicing. Blue/grey inside.
Thickness
Quality
1.5-2.5mm
Thicker shells. Some worm. Sometimes more lime coating to backside.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
- - Mosaic tile
- - Tumbling or chip
Grade: KAA
Origin
Shells per KG
Chatham Islands
9-10
Shell size
Colour
12.5-16cm, 90% 13-14cm
Good blue/green colour
Thickness
Quality
0.8-1.5 mm
Some wormhole, all whole shells, but occasional broken edges. Approx 55-65% of all Chathams Islands paua.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Ornamental and décor
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
- - Mosaic tile
- - Button blanks
- - Tumbling or chip
Grade: L2
Origin
Shells per KG
Chatham Islands
9-11
Shell size
Colour
12.5-15cm
Grey inside, blue colour on backside after grinding lime
Thickness
Quality
0.8-1.5 mm
More worm, < 20% broken shells, disease or growths to inside heel.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
- - Tumbling or chip
Grade: JAA
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
3-4
Shell size
Colour
13.5-17.5cm
Best blue/green/crimson inside and the backside after grinding
Thickness
Quality
2-3 mm
Limited worm to the backside, no diseases/growths to inside heel. Minimal, if any ripple.
Uses
- - Trophy or specimen shell
- - Jewellery
- - Polished shell
- - Ornamental and décor
Grade: JM
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
4-5
Shell size
Colour
13-17cm
Best blue/green/crimson inside and the backside after grinding
Thickness
Quality
2-3mm
Limited worm to the backside, no diseases/growths to inside heel. Minimal, if any ripple.
Uses
- - Trophy or specimen shell
- - Jewellery
- - Polished shell
- - Ornamental and décor
Grade: JL
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
6-7
Shell size
Colour
12.5-16cm
Best blue/green/crimson inside and the backside after grinding
Thickness
Quality
1.5-2.5mm
Limited worm to the backside, no diseases/growths to inside heel. Minimal, if any ripple.
Uses
- - Trophy or specimen shell
- - Jewellery
- - Polished shell
- - Ornamental and décor
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
Grade: JBH/SD
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
3-5
Shell size
Colour
13-17.5 cm
Greyish blue/green/crimson. Backside after grinding good colour.
Thickness
Quality
2-3mm
Limited worm to the backside, no disease/growths to inside heel. Minimal, if any ripple. Generally good yield of blue/green/crimson coloured shell after grinding the backside.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Polished shell
- - Ornamental and décor
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
Grade: JBH
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
3-5
Shell size
Colour
13-17cm
Best blue/green/crimson inside and the backside after grinding
Thickness
Quality
2-3mm
Includes shells with disease/growths to inside heel. Wormhole to the backside.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Ornamental and décor
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
Grade: JT
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
6-7
Shell size
Colour
12.5-16cm
Best blue/green/crimson inside and the backside after grinding
Thickness
Quality
1-2mm
Limited worm to the backside, no disease/growths to inside heel. Minimal, if any ripple. Thinner and more ripple.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Polished shell
- - Ornamental and décor
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
- - Button blanks
Grade: JB
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
6-7
Shell size
Colour
12.5-16cm
Best blue/green/crimson inside and the backside after grinding
Thickness
Quality
1-2mm
Includes shells with disease/growths to inside heel or wormhole to the backside.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Ornamental and décor
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
- - Button blanks
Grade: JB/SD
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
6-7
Shell size
Colour
12.5-16cm
Greyish blue/green/crimson. Backside after grinding good colour.
Thickness
Quality
1-2mm
Limited worm on the backside, no disease/growths to inside heel. Minimal. If any ripple. Generally good yield of blue/green/crimson colour after grinding the backside.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Ornamental and décor
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Button blanks
- - Tumbling or chip
Grade: TA
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
8-9
Shell size
Colour
12.5-14.5cm
Good blue/green/crimson often with creamy young growth to the outside edge
Thickness
Quality
1-2mm
Limited worm to the backside, no disease/growths to inside heel. Minimal, if any ripple.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Polished shell
- - Ornamental and décor
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
- - Mosaic tile
- - Button blanks
- - Tumbling or chip
Grade: KA
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
10-11
Shell size
Colour
12.5-15cm
Best blue/green/crimson inside and the backside after grinding
Thickness
Quality
0.8-1.5mm
Limited worm to the backside, < 10% growths to inside heel. Generally younger, clean backed shell. Suitable for cutting and inlay or slicing for shell sheet. Often the clean inside surface of KA is used as the visible surface. Thinner nature of shell limits the grinding out of wormhole on the backside.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Polished shell
- - Ornamental and décor
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
- - Mosaic tile
- - Button blanks
- - Tumbling or chip
Grade: KB
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
10-11
Shell size
Colour
12.5-14.5cm
80-90% good blue/green/crimson, 10-20% tending grey or half dead.
Thickness
Quality
0.8-1.5mm
More worm. 30-40% have growths to inside heel. Thickness and other characteristics similar to KA.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
- - Mosaic tile
- - Tumbling or chip
Grade: KGB
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
10-11
Shell size
Colour
12.5-14.5cm
All grey, half dead, showing occasional natural blue/green colour in parts
Thickness
Quality
0.8-1.5mm
Worm to backside. 20-30% have growths to inside heel.
Uses
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
- - Tumbling or chip
Grade: DD
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
5-6
Shell size
Colour
13.5-16.5cm
All grey (half dead or darker dead)
Thickness
Quality
2-3mm
Worm, 40-50% with disease/growths to the inside shell.
Uses
- - Jewellery
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
- - Tumbling or chip
Grade: KC
Origin
Shells per KG
Mainland New Zealand
8-12
Shell size
Colour
12.5-15cm or broken
80-90% grey (or dead).
Thickness
Quality
0.8-1.5mm
Scrap or lowest grade. The most wormy, thin or diseased shells. Up to 70% broken shells. This will vary, some bags less than 10 - 20% broken.
Uses
- - Slicing for sheet and veneer
- - Furniture inlay
- - Tumbling or chip
Tell us about your project...
Your project is unique, so we provide personalised advice before delivering worldwide from our studio in New Zealand.
Luméa products are made from natural shell with a variety of factors that affect form and function. If you can’t find the right product from within our range, then talk to us about our custom design service. We love to experiment and collaborate with our partners to create unique solutions.