Abalone is a type of mollusk that is primitive, uni-valved (which means single-shelled), and at least thirty million years old. There are only eight varieties of abalone, which is low, when compared to other pearl producing mollusks such as oysters and mussels.

Different forms of abalone are found anywhere from California to Alaska, as well as in Korea, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia.

Though abalone will produce pearls when in the wild, this is a rare occurrence. In fact, studies have shown that a fine, good sized pearl of over 15mm is found in nature only in about one out of every five hundred thousand to nine hundred thousand abalone.

The reason that these pearls are so rare is that they require about 8 to 10 years to form (note that it takes only 24 to 36 months for the pearls to develop in farms, as ideal circumstances are provided). As abalone are commonly subject to commercial fishing at about the age of four or five years. Therefore, they have not aged sufficiently for the creation of a pearl. Furthermore, not every kind of Abalone is able to produce pearls, and even in those that do, they require a very specific combination of elements in order for the natural pearl formation to occur; which includes everything down to what the abalone has to eat throughout the 8 to 10 years of the pearl’s formation time.

Abalone pearls found in nature vary greatly in color and shape, and may either be solid or hollow. The shapes may be round, oval, flat baroques, or even giant horn-like shapes. The colors of the natural abalone pearls may be anything between royal blues and greens, and magentas, or silver pinks, golds, bronzes, silvers, crèmes, purples, and even mystifyingly beautiful combinations. It is even possible for a single abalone to produce several pearls of different shapes and colors.

Natural abalone pearls grow within thick nacreous layers which are joined together with organic conchiolin. They are formed in a way that is quite similar to the way Oriental Pearls are formed, except that the nacreous layers in abalone are thicker.

Abalone pearls may be used within all different kinds of accessories and jewelry, and may even be matched for sets as long as they are painstakingly collected by the right jeweler.

Though expensive for pearl farming, abalone does have its commercial advantages, as it is the only mollusk which can be used in its entirety. Its shell is used for inlay, buttons, and carvings, its meat is used for food, its guts are used for fishing bait, and of course, its pearls are wondrously valuable gems.

The price of abalone pearls can range anywhere from several hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, in the case of the rarest, highest quality pearls.