Abalone shell has been used around the Northwest Coast of North America as a valuable trade item and as an inlay material for many centuries. Before the fur trade Mexican Green Abalone was traded up the Northwest Coast clear up into the arctic.  It was considered a precious material, and was used much as gold leaf was used in Europe.  An item that was gold leafed or gold inlaid was elevated to a different status than the same item left plain. Not only was more work put into the item, but it was now adorned with a precious material.

Abalone shell has a peculiar property that makes it useful as an inlay material, it reflects firelight extremely well, so a mask with inlaid eyes will seem to be looking at you as you see the fire reflected from its eyes.  This property seems to be much more pronounced in abalone shell grown in warmer waters, hence the tropical abalone was traded up the coast and was a precious material.  The local abalone of the Northwest coast is so pale as to be nearly white and does not reflect firelight well.  In present times a tiny worm has been introduced to Mexican waters that eats the shells of the abalone, destroying their usefulness as an inlay material.  Mexican abalone is now farmed but are harvested before they are large enough for their shells to be useful, and the wild shells are all eaten up by the worms.

Because of the unavailability of Mexican green abalone shells we have been forced to search further afield to find inlay material that would have been acceptable to the old people.  In other words, abalone with very similar properties as the old shells that were available before the fur trade.  We now import these shells from New Zealand.  Paua is the Maori word for abalone, and not a different creature as is often thought.  We could just as well call it by its Tlinget name “gunxaa”.  This shell is very similar to the old Mexican green abalone, the principle difference is that it tends to be more blue than green, but is as reflective and bright.  We think the old masters would be pleased with this material.

I must take this opportunity to warn you carvers and craftsmen and women that cutting and grinding abalone is VERY dangerous.  It must be done wet so there is NO dust as the dust will kill you just as surely and faster than asbestos.