Abalone Pearls.

Didn't think this was legal.


http://monterey.craigslist.org/for/4285875728.html

I see people selling ab shells all the time on CL too. You would think that both would either be legal or illegal.

Curious about the answer.

If farm raised its legal, but will come with certificate.  If sport harvested its illegal.

lol, sounds like a set up.

If farm raised its legal, but will come with certificate.  If sport harvested its illegal.

So is it illegal to sell ab shells too?

I've come across similar CL ads before and often wondered the legality as well.  When I searched the net, this is all I found, which sounds about right.

"Unless the abalone was taken by licensed California commercial divers prior to the 1997 commercial abalone fishing ban, or purchased from a commercial abalone aquaculture operation, then it is a violation to sell the shell or any other part of the abalone. It is legal to import the pearls for sale if they comply with the commercial fish laws regarding importation. Therefore, it would be incumbent for the jeweler/individual offering the pearl for sale to have documentation that they obtained the pearl legally."

If farm raised its legal, but will come with certificate.  If sport harvested its illegal.

So is it illegal to sell ab shells too?

Sport harvested ab shells - Yes, illegal to sell

I've come across similar CL ads before and often wondered the legality as well.  When I searched the net, this is all I found, which sounds about right.

"Unless the abalone was taken by licensed California commercial divers prior to the 1997 commercial abalone fishing ban, or purchased from a commercial abalone aquaculture operation, then it is a violation to sell the shell or any other part of the abalone. It is legal to import the pearls for sale if they comply with the commercial fish laws regarding importation. Therefore, it would be incumbent for the jeweler/individual offering the pearl for sale to have documentation that they obtained the pearl legally."

Im going to send this to that bastard that posted on CL 

Wrong. It has been proven in court that the abalone pearl is not part of the abalone. The pearl forms around a foreign organism hence it is not part of the abalone. This was told to me face to face by a large natural pearl dealer in Petaluma who was brought to court on charges and then dismissed.

If farm raised its legal, but will come with certificate.  If sport harvested its illegal.

So is it illegal to sell ab shells too?

i just took a couple from your yard 

Look outside your car is on milk crates 

Its a trap!!!!!

so what do you do with the shells? Can't sell them... Can you give them away? do you have to keep them?

so what do you do with the shells? Can't sell them... Can you give them away? do you have to keep them?

Giving them away is a great option.  I've been cleaning them with muriatic acid and finishing them up with polyurethane for years.  Giving them away has been very rewarding.  I met a guy through work several years back who takes kids on ocean fieldtrips and mentioned he could use more shells.  I brought him like 6 milk crates of nine pluses.  He remarked after examining the lot, "I've never seen so many abalone over 9 and a half inches!"  Up until then I had horded those abs - even though I had a lot of tens.  It felt great to give them to someone who really appreciated them and was teaching kids and turning families on to it.

A few years after that I decided to give out ten inchers as trophies at Gimme Shelter.  I think I've given out about 15 or more in the past 4 years.  If people don't want them there's an easy option:  chuck it in the ocean!  But I think people want them and will appreciate them for what they are:  beautiful! 

so what do you do with the shells? Can't sell them... Can you give them away? do you have to keep them?

Giving them away is a great option.  I've been cleaning them with muriatic acid and finishing them up with polyurethane for years.  Giving them away has been very rewarding.  I met a guy through work several years back who takes kids on ocean fieldtrips and mentioned he could use more shells.  I brought him like 6 milk crates of nine pluses.  He remarked after examining the lot, "I've never seen so many abalone over 9 and a half inches!"  Up until then I had horded those abs - even though I had a lot of tens.  It felt great to give them to someone who really appreciated them and was teaching kids and turning families on to it.

A few years after that I decided to give out ten inchers as trophies at Gimme Shelter.  I think I've given out about 15 or more in the past 4 years.  If people don't want them there's an easy option:  chuck it in the ocean!  But I think people want them and will appreciate them for what they are:  beautiful! 

Eric
Do you have or know of a video  showing the process of cleaning them the way you do?