Abalone & Moonstone

Abalone & Moonstone hand cut and polished. Set in .925 Silver.

Necklace is 18"

Center stone is approximately 1" x .75"

Abalone, a saltwater mollusk with a single shell, originated in the Cretaceous period, between 145 and 100 million years ago. They are native to the rocky habitats of cold temperate coastlines in many countries, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, North America, and Japan. Abalone can also be found in semi-tropical waters like the Philippines.

The finest moonstones are found mainly in Sri Lanka and Southern India. Other varieties occur Australia, Armenia, Mexico, Brazil, and the United States. The rainbow variety of moonstone can be found in India and Madagascar. The most common moonstone is of the orthoclase feldspar mineral adularia, named for an early mining site near Mt. Adular in Switzerland, now the town of St. Gotthard.