Glacier Pearle Jewelry

glacier pearle two hearts necklace

What is Glacier Pearle Jewelry?

Glacier Pearle also spelled "Glacier Pearl" is a trade name for jewelry made from abalone shell.

What is Abalone?

Abalone is an edible mollusk with a shallow shell shaped like an "ear". The shell is lined with mother-of-pearl. The shell has a kaleidoscope of iridescent colors which makes it desirable for jewelry. 

What are other names for Abalone Shell?

    • paua shell
    • mollusk shell
    • ear shell
    • pawa shell
    • ormer shell
    • pāua shell
    • perlemoen ('mother-of-pearl') shell
    • sea-ear shell
    • mollusc shell

What color is Abalone Shell?

Example of an abalone shell

 

Abalone comes in a kaleidoscope of colors. The iridescent shell can produce magnificent colors that range from purple and blue to green and yellow to orange and pink. The full list of shell colors are as follows:

 

    • dull brick-red
    • dull green to reddish brown
    • dark blue to black
    • olive green to reddish brown
    • reddish brown
    • mottled greenish brown with scattered white & blue
    • mottled greenish with red-white or brownish spotting
    • brick red with white blue & green mottlings

How is Abalone Shell jewelry made?

Our abalone jewelry is hand crafted by skilled artisans. These artists choose only he finest quality abalone and then begin the laborious task of removing the thick outer crust to reveal the natural beauty that lies within. The shells are hand polished and carved to create this beautiful Glacier Pearle jewelry. For each piece of jewelry specific pieces of abalone shell need to be selected to achieve the best results. Once selected then each piece is set in place by hand. An extra step goes into our earrings in that each pair needs to be meticulously hand matched so that each earring complements the other. There's a lot of work that goes into this high quality jewelry.

 How is Abalone Shell jewelry unique?

Glacier Pearle Maple Leaf Earrings

Since every Abalone Shell itself is unique, no two pieces of jewelry can be the same. Each Abalone Shell has a unique pattern of twisted swirling colors. Your piece of Abalone Shell jewelry is a one of a kind! Each product will vary in color and pattern to some degree. 

 

Where is abalone found?

Abalone are found in cold waters. The majority are found in Western North America, South Africa, Australia, Japan, and off the coast of New Zealand. Most of our abalone comes from New Zealand.

Is Abalone Shell for jewelry legal?

Wild populations of abalone have decreased in the resent years because of over fishing, poaching and other environmental factors. Thus, Glacier Pearle jewelry made from the abalone shell is government regulated and managed. For our jewelry, no wild abalone of any kind are used. All of our abalone shell is a by-product of a highly regulated sustainable food fishery. If we did not use the shell for our jewelry it would be thrown into a land fill.

Is abalone jewelry expensive?

Abalone jewelry is relatively inexpensive. You can find very nice abalone jewelry as low as $15.00-$40.00 CAD. Depending on the artisan and designer, abalone jewelry can be quite valuable. An example of prices can be seen here.

How big are abalone shells?

It's shell varies in size from 0.79" to 7.87".

Where can I buy Glacier Pearle?

TreasuresOnline.ca tries to be as competitive as possible and has a great selection of Glacier Pearle jewelry at low prices which includes free shipping in Canada and deep discounts of up to 58% off shipping to other countries. It will be hard to find a better deal!