Polished Red Abalone

 Cleaned & polished Guaranteed delivery unbroken !
Seashells never come from the sea in clean perfect condition
We clean & polish every shell we sell !  No one else does this anywhere !
We take all the junk to the flee markets. We do not try to mix it in with the nice shells
Shells usually have chipped edges and scratches that need to be trimmed down and polished
Unless you have the equipment and the experience you will live with these imperfections forever
Our prices are very competitive and our consistent quality is the very best there is !
We only sell remarkable finished products. We are Pros for 30 years! 
Best quality Presentation shells you can get
 No surprises !   No dummies !

Polished Red Abalone
 (2½"-3½") $14.00 x6 
Glorious decorative highlights for any shell collection

RED ABALONE AND ITS NATURAL HISTORY

The red abalone is a gastropod (univalve) having a large, oval shell shaped like a shallow bowl. It is the largest of California's marine snails and one of several abalone species inhabiting the California coast. The shells of some archaeological specimens are close to 30 cm in length, and lengths around 20 cm are common. Most of the abalone's body under its shell consists of a "foot" for attaching itself to a rock surface and sometimes for locomotion, although a mature abalone generally resides in one spot. Abalone feed on algae, and the red or coral color of the outer surface of a red abalone shell (the shell's epidermis) results from consumption of red algae.

The interior surface of the abalone shell (to which its soft tissue is attached) is mother-of-pearl, or nacre. Its relative smoothness and high luster have made it an attractive material for making ornaments in both prehistoric and historic times.

Water taken in by the abalone and passed over its gills exits through a row of holes (apertures) along one side of the shell (although the hole nearest the front (anterior) edge of the shell may be used for water intake). As the shell grows larger, new and larger holes are added and the old holes on the opposite (exterior) end of the row are plugged with nacre. Typically, four such holes are open, but the holes filled with nacre are easily seen on the shell.

Today, most red abalone live mainly in subtidal waters to depths of more than 20 meters, even along the central California coast, where historically they also occupied the intertidal zone in significant numbers. Their geographic distribution extends from Sunset Bay along the Oregon coast southward to Bahía de Tortuga in Baja California. The largest concentrations, however, are in central California.