The iridescent shell in our Mexican earrings comes from the Pacific coast of Baja California, and is a by-product of the abalone fishing industry.

What is abalone?

Abalone, (pronounced 'A-bah-low-nee') is a type of sea snail found along rocky coastlines. Known as abulón in Spanish, it is harvested mainly for its meat, which is considered a delicacy across Asia and in Mexico. However, the shell left behind is quite incredible and has been used in jewellery making for thousands of years.

Mexico vs USA

Our abalone does not come from California in the USA where populations of abalone have been overfished for many years. Abalone fishing is strictly regulated in Mexico and is only allowed at certain times of the year. Abalone is not considered an endangered species and fishing is only allowed by authorised fishing co-operatives. Interestingly, these co-operatives were actually voluntarily founded in order to improve sustainability and protect the abalone industry in the long term. You can read a little bit more here and here.

Abalone Co-ops

Back in the mid-1930s, the Mexican government helped set up fishing co-operatives along the remote Pacific coast of Baja, partly to protect local fishermen from foreign boats that were helping themselves to the region's lobster and abalone. In 1948, those co-operatives were formally granted fishing rights.
By 1992, the regional federation of co-operatives, known as FEDECOOP, had been awarded exclusive concessions to fish for abalone within clearly defined territorial areas. This gave the fishermen a genuine stake in the long-term health of their own waters. It is now widely regarded as a model of sustainable small-scale fisheries management.

Shell and Craft

The shell in our earrings is what remains once the abalone has been harvested for food. The shells are transported to the idyllic town of Taxco, once famed for its silver mines, where husband-and-wife team Gerardo and Elía run Exportaciones Guadalupe, producing and selling abalone products with their family.