Stunning Iridescent Abalone Pearl Wing Shape

Type: Abalone - Paua


Weight: 13.16 ct


Shape: long curved "wing" — almost a saber/horn silhouette


Size: 46mm x 12mm x 6mm at widest


Color: Iridescent greens, oranges, blues, mauves real rainbow of flashing colours dependent on light


Location of Origin: Chatham Islands, New Zealand


A genuinely rare natural paua pearl, found in the wild waters of the Chatham Islands and held in our family collection for over 30 years. My father found this one himself — it has never been bought, traded or treated, and it has waited three decades for the right person.

Natural paua pearls are among the rarest gems on earth. Unlike cultured pearls, these cannot be farmed at scale — paua (Haliotis iris) refuse to be nucleated reliably, so every natural pearl is a one-in-tens-of-thousands accident of nature. No two are alike, and a piece of this size, shape and colour is exceptional even among them.

This is a wing-form pearl — a long, elegant curved sweep that catches the light like a brushstroke. The lustre is brilliant and mirror-bright, and the orient runs the full paua spectrum: electric blue and deep teal flashing into rose, peach, gold and lime green as it turns in the light. The natural open form shows its wild origin honestly, exactly as the sea made it.

A collector's pearl, or a once-in-a-lifetime centrepiece for a bespoke pendant or single earring.


Price: $2,842