Pula Shells Harry?

Yes I do a lot of free form acually. I don't really have many pieces right now to work with, but I will soon. By free form, do you mean, natural shell shapes?

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I can make just about any shape you may want. I have tried to make hearts, but I am not real talented and it came out looking kind of wierd. lol

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now to work with,

now to work with,

Thank you very much and I do hope to stay around for awhile. But I do tend to ramble, so feel free to tell me to shut up when I talk to much. lol

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Thank you again. :) No, I haven't work with plain Abalone shell ,yet. :) But it is pretty and much larger than Paua Shell. The largest a Paua Shell gets is maybe 7 inchs, but you are talking about an old shell and most are used to create high price jewelry or sold as a piece item. But don't be fooled about what you can buy. A really nice Paua Shell will be between 5 and 10 mm thick, and that is really thick for a shell. The ones I have range between 1 and maybe 3 mm thick, but the larger pieces that have the rim of the shell can be much thicker. These are what are used to make great beads. I am trying hard to get some Paua shell rims so I can experiment with making beads but my supplier is reluctant, as he uses these for his own use and doesn't want to give them up. I will just keep badgering him untill he does! LOL Have you worked with Abalone shells? I think I got off the topic of the question again. Ramble.. ramble..

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much larger than Paua Shell.

an old shell and most are used to create high

can buy. A really nice Paua Shell will be

I have range between 1 and maybe 3 mm thick,

These are what are used to make great beads.

making beads but my supplier is reluctant, as he

keep badgering him untill he does! LOL

question again. Ramble.. ramble..

Rambling is definitely allowed. Or they would have chased me away! LOL.

Tina

=50

Actually, it's only barely off topic, and I was wondering about abalone too.

What is the difference between abalone and paua? My impression is that paua is smaller and much more of a deep blue than abalone, abalone being more beige with lots of pearlescence.

How would you make beads of the paua rims? Cut the rim off and make a series of wedge shaped triangles (roughly)? Do you use a band saw? Boy, I'd love to have that. Just add Swarovskis. What do you cut with? A 1" piece of rim with a half moon or rectangle would make a beautiful focal too.

Do you have lots of little pieces left? You could make beautiful blue paua gravel (though I don't know what it would be used for).

If you can predetermine the size and shape of your product, you could make pieces to measure specifically to fit findings. Cameo and cab settings are easy to find. But what I think would look best is a simple "coin mountings". Some have a simple ornament on the outside, like a rope, but the plainest ones might be best. The coins that go in them are between 1mm and just over 2 mm. The thinner edges would fit in nicely and the shell would gracefully swell out. Classic beauty.

I have a lot of shells hanging out here at my place. I have some shells with orange and with purple from Mexico. Maybe I need a tumbler. You need a rotary tumbler for shells, don't you. I need a a vibrating/rotating tumbler for silver, but I'm guessing the two jobs need to have not only different barrels, but different tumbling functions.

And another question. I love the flowers incised into a shaped piece of shell. Any idea how hat's done?

Tina

much larger than Paua Shell.

an old shell and most are used to create high

can buy. A really nice Paua Shell will be

I have range between 1 and maybe 3 mm thick,

These are what are used to make great beads.

making beads but my supplier is reluctant, as he

keep badgering him untill he does! LOL

question again. Ramble.. ramble..

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Christina Peterson" :

]I'm guessing the two jobs need to have not only ]different barrels, but different tumbling functions.

well, the functions are interchangeable.

but i wouldn't use a barrel that had used grit on my lampwork and/or silver. it would scratch instead of harden.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

(Jewelry) ----------- It's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you; it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

New Zealand Paua, (abalone), Shell, (Haliotis iris) The Shimmering, Iridescent Blues and Greens of Paua! Stunning iridescent displays of vibrant colors makes paua unique among the world?s nearly 130 abalone shell varieties. Others pale in comparison! It is truly one of nature's marvels! Each shell is different in it's color toning, and in the patterns within the shell. There is no other shell in the world that has color like Paua Shell! Color that varies from greens & pinks to purples & blues, and even some shells with gold or crimson toning. Paua Shell is smaller than Abalone and much more colorful. :) But I am going to get some Abalone to see what I can do with it and how I can fuse the two together into a work of art. Me... art... Have to try something new everyday. lol

The Paua Shell rim is the thickest part of the shell and the color that runs through it is indesrcible. It has a very beautiful rainbow effect. I can not describe it.

Paua gravel sounds like awonderful idea, but most of the smaller pieces are used for mosaics, embellishments, and a host of others. Many can be used to highlite clothing... for instance... glueing a pice to ordinary buttons add wonderful color and gets you noticed quickly. They can also be added to handbags, shoes, belts and so much more. I could go and on and normally do. lol

Excellent idea and I thank you so much. I do want to try and create unique items to have for sale and for personal use. OT: I am also going to try my hand at bone carving. I will be getting soem bone Tuesday and this believe it or not is more time consuming than Paua shell. I never knew there was so much to it. Cleaning and drying and than carving.

Ah! the diff between the 2! Here comes some info. lol Roatary tumblers round out and smooth, while Vibratory just more or less smooth. Example: If you want the item to retain it's natural shape you would use a Vibratory tumbler. Your items will come out pretty much as they went in, except they will be smooth and polished. If you want the item to be more rounded or very rounded and smooth you would use a roatry tumbler. If you want something to help you sleep and relax you want a rotary tumbler. :) Vibratory tumblers are noisy as they shake everything to get them smooth. :)

Most item you find that are shaped are either: 1. Pieces glued together or

1. Made from Paua laminates. Both start as real Paua shell, but are processed to be flat or shaped. A flower can be made by shaping several pieces,(rose petals), and then attached to each other. ALSO.. there are many items that are not Paua shell at all and people claim them to be. That ticks me off just a tad! If you search Ebay you will find MANY of the items. Want to know what's the best to buy? Natural undyed no chemicals used Paua Shell. How can you tell? Easy.. if it's blue, green, pink, gold, purple or any other solid color.. it's dyed. Paua shell has nearly ever color in the rainbow, but NOT 1 is a soild color. The rarest color for a Paua shell to have is a gold coloring, BUT, it will have the others also. Holy smoke Gus! Did I ramble or what. I do hope I answered the questions. lol

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world's nearly 130 abalone shell varieties.

shells with gold or crimson toning.

going to get some Abalone to see

not describe it.

highlite clothing...

gets you noticed

more. I could go and

at bone carving.

time consuming than Paua

Vibratory tumbler.

smooth and polished.

would use a roatry tumbler.

shell at all and people claim

MANY of the items.

other solid color.. it's dyed.

color. The rarest color

larger than Paua Shell.

old shell and most are used to create high

buy. A really nice Paua Shell will be

have range between 1 and maybe 3 mm thick,

These are what are used to make great beads.

beads but my supplier is reluctant, as he

badgering him untill he does! LOL

question again. Ramble.. ramble..

When I go diving again (sigh) I'll just have to get me some of those Paua's to eat & keep... I'll keep you lot in mind..

AmazeR

world?s nearly 130 abalone shell varieties.

with gold or crimson toning.

to get some Abalone to see

As I understand it (being in Aotearoa myself - or New Zealand to most) Paua is the Maori word for what the Aussies call Abalone (along with most other nations, I think). They are plentiful off the coast here (or rather used to be - one kind of has to look harder these days!) We're not allowed to take them on tanks though, so can only get them free diving. And there ain't that much at those easy depths!!

Any rate, I ramble.... sorry

AmazeR