Luméa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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