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Mother of Pearl Shell/Abalone


The Large, Rare and Beautiful Abalone Bead Collection is Here!

First seen in artistic images of Buddha created in 300 A.D., the Abalone bead is one of the largest and rarest beads found. Usually located in the Pacific, between California and Alaska and as far away as Korea, Japan and Australia, the highly sought after Abalone shell bead comes from a primitive one-shelled mollusk.

Unlike most other Mother of Pearl Bead gems found in nature, the Mother of Pearl/ Abalone shell bead is very unique, unusually shaped and extremely rare. Why so rare when other Mother of Pearl Bead gems can be naturally or man-made?

The answer is also natural and man-made. First, the primitive Abalone Mollusk takes at least eight years to produce the Abalone shell bead. In addition, the Abalone is a fine sea-food favorite in many places. Therefore, it is fished and eaten at restaurants up and down the Pacific Coast. Typically, the Abalone Mollusk hasn’t had enough time to create its beautiful pearl.

Still, they are found. And A Grain of Sand brings them to you in these beautiful necklace and bracelet pieces. Browse our Abalone bead collection below and order today!

River Shell Flat Tear Beads
River Shell Flat Tear Beads - These are irregular in size and shape. Sizes range from 15 to 30mm. They are quite nice.
$18/16" strand Item #10863


Mother of Pearl Heart of Shell Bead Nuggets
Mother of Pearl Heart of Shell Bead Nuggets - 12 - 15mm average size. Natural sandy beige color. Ummm. . . .the possibilities?
$8/16" strand Item #10527


Mother of Pearl Shell Donut Pair -2    
25-26mm round. Each piece has its own character or color variation. Beautiful. No two are exactly alike in color or size. Some have more opalescence than others. All are naturally beautiful.
$6.50/pair
Item #10337


Mother of Pearl Shell Donut Pair    
25-26mm round. Each piece has its own character or color variation. Beautiful.
$6/pair
Item #10336


Mother of Pearl Top Quality Disc Pendant Pairs    
18mm round. Top quality mother of pearl shell with a nice polished shine. Nice tapered edges. Great for earrings!
$7.50/pair
Item #10332


Mother of Pearl Shell Round Small Beads
$6/16" strand Item #10331


Mother of Pearl Shell Faceted Disc Beads
$24/16" strand Item #10330


River Shell Oval Beads
River Shell Oval Beads - 8 x 10 x 5mm polished ovals.
$8/16" strand Item #10329


River Shell Stacked Disc Beads
River Shell Stacked Disc Beads - 10 x 3.5mm. Drilled so that they stack on an angle. Nice!
$8/16" strand Item #10328


River Shell Disc Beads
River Shell Disc Beads - 8 x 3mm. Flat disc beads.
$6/16" strand Item #10327


Mother of Pearl Shell Resin Rondell Beads
Mother of Pearl Shell Resin Rondell Beads - 8 x 12mm. These beads are made of a resin with shell pieces embedded into them. great look! Very limited.
$18/16" strand Item #10281


Abalone Shell Flat Square Beads
$36/16" strand Item #10279


Abalone Shell Disc Beads
$24/16" strand Item #10278


Graduated Abalone Top Drilled Tears
Graduated Abalone Top Drilled Tears - Sizes vary from 20 - 40mm. Sizes vary per strand. All are graduated . Very pretty.
$24/16" strand Item #10245


Vintage Mother of Pearl Button Strands    
8mm round. These old beauties are "Made in Japan". They are wafer thin and top quality mother of pearl. The holes are on the edge of the button. You will receive a strand that is almost 6" long with approximately 140 buttons on the strand. These are very old and rare. Check out the enlargement.
$18/lot of 140
Item #10208


Mabe Blister Pearls    
40mm round. Each one is unique. These are embedded Mabe pearls that have formed within the shell and then the shell is cut. They are wonderful. I have hand picked each one. No two are exactly alike. All are wonderful. Great to use as a focal piece for wire wrapping, setting into silver, or encorporating into seed bead work. We have not drilled any holes into these.
$12/each
Item #10116


Mother of Pearl Shell Shapely Pendant    
32 x 48mm. Another beautifully carved item. The backside is flat and smooth. The color does vary as these are natural in color.
$9/each
Item #9832


Mother of Pearl Shell Majestic Pendant    
28 x 48mm. Beautifully carved on the front and flat on the back. The colors do vary as there are natural in color.
$9/each
Item #9831


Natural Pink Oyster Shell Carved Pendant    
40 x 29mm. Very nice detail. The image does not show off the natural shine and characteristics of this stunning shell. You will be amazed at the detail in person.
$9/each
Item #9830


Abalone Shell Connector Beads - Yummy!    
12 x 18mm. Outstanding for unique design opportunities. These are top quality abalone shell. Polished to perfection. We have some vintage Swarovski connectors in a variety of colors that have are similar in design that may make great companions to these. Let your imagination go wild!!!
$18/6
Item #9781


Mother of Pearl Connector Beads    
12 x 18mm. Outstanding for unique design opportunities. These are top quality mother of pearl shell. Polished to perfection. We have some vintage Swarovski connectors in a variety of colors that have are similar in design that may make great companions to these. Let your imagination go wild!!!
$18/6
Item #9780


Mother of Pearl Shell Square Pendant Pairs    
22mm squared with a 1.5mm thickness. The edges are slightly curved for a more attractive feeling. Theses are top quality white mother of pearl shells. The size and design makes these a perfect component for earrings. The image does not do these justice.
$10/pair
Item #9779


Mother of Pearl Shell Sensational Square Beads
Mother of Pearl Shell Sensational Square Beads - 24-26mm average size. These beads are top quality mother of pearl shell. Very white and beautifully lustrous. The open centers give many design possibilities.
$36/16" strand Item #9774


Conch Shell Free Form Cross Section Beads
Conch Shell Free Form Cross Section Beads - 35mm average size. Unique!!!!! Each piece is unique in colors as they are totally natural. some have more pink than others. Some have a little beige in them as well. All are naturally beautiful and have been hand picked for their quality in color variations. Many of you have heard that conch is an aphrodisiac. We just think it is beautiful. You never know who you may attract when wearing this beautiful shell.
$33/16" strand Item #9771


Conch Shell Oval Pendant    
35 x 55mm average size. Each piece is unique in colors as they are totally natural. some have more pink than others. Some have a little beige in them as well. All are naturally beautiful and have been hand picked for their quality in color variations. Many of you have heard that conch is an aphrodisiac. We just think it is beautiful. You never know who you may attract when wearing this beautiful shell.
$12/each
Item #9770


Vintage Dobu Shell Rounds    
6mm. From Japan. Dobu shell was used for Ladie’s hair combs, knitting needles, fountain pens, and other items held close to the body because the shell had properties that make it feel warm and comfortable. It was immune to static charge. The shell material was scarce though making it expensive.
$6.50/50 beads
Item #9337


Genuine Natural Pink Chonch Shell Donut    
30mm round with 8mm central opening. This piece is highly polished. Each donut is unique in colors as they are totally natural. some have more pink than others. Some have a little beige in them as well. All are naturally beautiful and have been hand picked for their quality in color variations. Many of you have heard that conch is an aphrodisiac. We just think it is beautiful. You never know who you may attract when wearing this beautiful shell? We had a larger 40mm version that sold out last year & know you will enjoy this size as well.
$10/each
Item #7636


Natural Mother of Pearl Unique Carved Pendant    
appx size. 50 x 55mm. This is another of our wonderful top quality mother of pearl hand carved pendants. It is head-drilled front to back. Some have more silver than white. They are all beauties.
$16/each
Item #7576


Natural Mother of Pearl Double Wave Silver & White Pendant    
55mm round. This is another wonderful top quality hand carved pendant. Limited.
$18/each
Item #7575


Natural Mother of Pearl Circle of 3 Waves Pendant - Silver & White    
50mm. These are top quality mother of pearl. Primarily white with some silverish coloration. Each pendant is hand carved, unusual and gorgeous.
$15/each
Item #7574


Natural Pink Puka Conch Shell Beads
Natural Pink Puka Conch Shell Beads - These are a blast from the past. 10mm discs. Approximate size. These are highly polished. Each strand is unique in colors as they are totally natural. Many of you have heard that conch is an aphrodisiac. We just think it is beautiful. You never know who you may attract when wearing this beautiful shell?
$21/16" strand Item #7104


Natural Conch Shell Nugget Beads - Smaller
Natural Conch Shell Nugget Beads - Smaller - 6mm Approximate size. These are highly polished. Each strand is unique in colors as they are totally natural. Many of you have heard that conch is an aphrodisiac. We just think it is beautiful. You never know who you may attract when wearing this beautiful shell?
$20/16" strand Item #7103


Natural Conch Shell Rice Beads
Natural Conch Shell Rice Beads - 10 x 5mm. These are highly polished. Each strand is unique in colors as they are totally natural. Many of you have heard that conch is an aphrodisiac. We just think it is beautiful. You never know who you may attract when wearing this beautiful shell?
$22/16" strand Item #7102


Vintage Heart of Shell Cross Section Beads    
Sizes do vary - approximately 6-25mm diameter. Thicknesses really vary from bead to bead as well. Gotta have these old beauties. Came out of original packaging that says "Made in Taiwan Republic of China". The beads are drilled through the center of the spiral. Well made, unique & rare!!!!
$4.75/lot of 36 beads
Item #6833


Natural Mother of Pearl Open Carved Swirl Pendant    
55mm round. Simply scrumptous carved, open swired design. These are hand carved with some color variation in a white and silver toned to brown coloration. Oh my . . . . .get these while supplies last.
$15/each
Item #6589


Abalone Donut Puffed Pendant    
25mm round with a 7.5mm open center. This beauty is highly polished. Its actually two pieces fused together so that it has two beautifuly puffed sides. Each piece is unique in color formation of the shell. Very nice quality here. Not just another abalone pendant.
$9/each
Item #6588


Natural Carved Douette Pendant    
Approximately 47mm x 40mm. This natural pendant is hand carved. Each peice is uniquely beautiful. Colors vary a bit. They have some white and darker silver to brown coloration. Oh my, this one is nice.
$14/each
Item #6587


White Mother of Pearl Shell Carved Curly Pendant    
Approximately 50mm. These pendants are hand carved so each one varies a little in shape. The color is naturally white with some yellow tones. What a quality unique piece.
$18/each
Item #6585


Vintage Mother of Pearl Nugget Beads    
Sizes range from 8-12mm wide x 14-15mm long, drilled lengthwise. Boy, are these are special! Made in Japan, silky smooth, glossy with pinks and blues in them and a nice weight. Jean thinks they would make excellent buttons for a sweater. We think they could make just about anything better. These are limited!
$16/lot of 50 beads
Item #6382


Vintage Mother of Pearl Double Drilled Buttons - 14mm    
These are vintage - Made in Japan. A quality Mother of pearl shell buttons with two holes on the edge. These are thin embellishments. Rare indeed!
$6/24 buttons
Item #5894


Vintage-Antique Mother of Pearl Buttons    
15 x 18mm rectangular buttons. These are made in Japan. Very nice quality!
$10.75/lot of 12 buttons as pictured
Item #5877


Vintage Mother of Pearl Etched Pendant    
44mm x 2mm. This one is gorgeous. Its very thin. The shell is of a very high quality, only found with the good old stuff. This was made in Japan. Great price. The photo does not do it justice.
$3.50/each
Item #5721


Rectangular Heart of Shell Beads
Rectangular Heart of Shell Beads - appx 9 x 7mm. Very nice value here!
$6/per 16" strand Item #5037


Mother of Pearl Shell Pickets
Mother of Pearl Shell Pickets - 11 x 36 x 2.5mm. These are head drilled. Pretty nice shell here. Not a shape you see everyday.
$12/per 16" strand Item #5016


Faceted Tiny Shell Tears
Faceted Tiny Shell Tears - 6 x 6 x 5mm. These are pretty small, but really nice. 5mm thick gives them alot of depth. Great price.
$10/16" strand Item #5005


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