10ml powdered New Zealand Pāua shell pigment.

Powdered New Zealand Rainbow Pāua Shell – Reclaimed & Hand-Crushed Pigment
A vibrant pigment with a powerful story.
This hand-crushed powdered pāua shell comes from unwanted or broken tourist trinkets and jewellery, lovingly reclaimed and transformed in-studio into something new — a unique pigment rich in colour, meaning, and versatility.

Known as the “sea opal”, the pāua shell is famed for its radiant blue, green, and purple iridescence. This powder retains a soft shimmer and is ideal for use in art, craft, and spiritual work where you want to infuse your creations with oceanic energy and beauty.

Sourcing & Sustainability:
These pāua shells originate from New Zealand but are reclaimed from previously discarded or unwanted items — broken tourist trinkets, offcuts from jewellery, or pieces too small to work with in traditional ways.
Rather than letting them go to waste, they are carefully hand-crushed in a traditional mortar and pestle and cleaned to ensure they’re safe to use in creative projects.

Nothing is taken from the sea. This is a second-life material, celebrating conscious making and zero-waste creativity.

Scientific Composition of Pāua Shell:
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO₃) – like most shells, pāua is primarily composed of aragonite, a crystalline form of calcium carbonate. What sets it apart is the layered structure that causes its brilliant iridescence.
Nacre (Mother-of-Pearl): The inner surface of the pāua shell is made up of nacre — thousands of thin platelets stacked together with organic proteins in between. This microstructure diffracts light and creates the shimmering blues, purples, and greens pāua is famous for.
Trace Minerals: The shell can also contain small amounts of magnesium, strontium, and other trace minerals, subtly altering colour and sheen. These contribute to the shell’s variation and natural brilliance.
Uses in Art, Craft & Ritual:
🌈 Art & Mixed Media:
Perfect for adding sparkle, shimmer, and symbolism to artwork. Can be mixed into resin, paints, varnishes, glazes, or used as a fine inlay in wood, polymer clay, or jewellery. Each batch holds different tones based on the natural variation in the pāua shell, adding organic charm and unpredictability to your work.

🧿 Spiritual & Ritual Use:
Pāua has deep symbolic meaning in Māori culture and is used around the world in spiritual practices associated with:

Third Eye & Intuition: The shell’s shifting colours are tied to insight, clarity, and awakening of the third eye.
Emotional Balance: As a water element material, pāua is used for calming emotions and restoring peace.
Creativity & Expression: Its vibrancy supports the throat chakra and encourages bold self-expression, making it an excellent addition to artistic or magical work aimed at enhancing voice and vision.
Protection & Harmony: In rituals, powdered pāua can be used in protection charms, spell jars, or sacred blends to shield the spirit and promote inner harmony.

You Will Receive:
A small 10ml bottle of finely crushed pāua shell pigment
Each batch is unique in tone and shimmer due to natural variation
Stored in a recyclable bottle for ease of use and low waste

How to Use It:
Mix into resin or clear mediums for art and jewellery projects
Add to spell work, altar decor, charm bags, or crystal grids
Use in rituals focused on intuition, protection, or healing
Include in sacred offerings to sea deities or water spirits
Add a pinch to crystal bath blends or ritual powders (crystal, not use only)

Note:
Not intended for ingestion or cosmetic use.
May contain small, naturally iridescent fragments. Handle with care if using in tactile applications.
Variations in colour and shimmer are part of the shell’s natural beauty.
Want a matching shell chip inlay or jewellery piece from the same source? Check my other listings or send me a message — I love pairing pigments with finished works!

Important Note:
This pigment is natural and unrefined, meaning variations in texture and color may occur. Further grinding may be needed to achieve the desired consistency for fine art applications. It is not intended for consumption or cosmetic use.
Please be advised ocean and river molluscs are bottom and filter feeders, they remove toxins from the water and take in toxins from the plant life they consume which can stored in the shell and absorbed through the skin if added to baths or skin products.