FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I buy Ocean Shell Studios products from overseas?
Yes, all of our products are safe to send overseas, and we dispatch products around the world every day.
What will the shipping and freight cost be?
Please go to this link to see shipping and freight estimates. The actual cost is calculated at check out.
How is New Zealand Abalone Shell harvested?
New Zealand Abalone Shell, or Pāua, is harvested under a quota management system. Commercial divers using a blunt metal tool, which doubles as a measuring device, loosen the Pāua from the rock. Each Pāua is recorded by the diver who is wearing a data logger, which tracks their location and how many Pāua are collected. The information collected is used by the New Zealand Pāua industry council to ensure the Pāua resource is managed sustainably.
What services do you have for wood craftspeople and luthiers?
Shell veneer coated, solid shell, shell composite and resin coating; see our Luthiers, Woodcrafts and Paua flyer for more information.
Do we handsort shell blanks?
We don’t handsort our blanks for quality as people use these for many different things, and an ‘acceptable quality’ changes customer by customer depending on how they intend to use it. So instead of sorting, we keep them at a reasonable low price, so that our customers can buy extra stock and allow for their own rejects. We are dealing with a natural product and different people see beauty in different forms. This way we don’t have to increase the price on our standard stock. You can buy at this price and handsort to your own exact requirements.
LUMEA
What does Luméa mean?
Luméa is our global shell materials brand. Ocean Shell Studios is proud to use Luméa shell products. Seeing the Luméa brand assures you of a premium, genuine, sustainable, quality product. For more details visit our Luméa website: https://lumea.co/about-us/who-we-are
What is Luméa Shell Veneer Sheet?
Luméa genuine shell veneers are light, flexible and versatile. Finely sliced strips of genuine shell are laminated and formed into a 0.3 mm flat sheet.
The shells are first cut into strips and then sliced into featherlike, paper thin pieces. A perfect material for inlaying and easy to cut into intricate designs.
For Luméa veneer specifications, click here.
What do I need to know about Luméa Listello Tiles?
Our Listello tiles are decorative tiles suitable for walls and low wear flooring applications if specifically requested. For Luméa listello tile specifications, click here.
What do I need to know about Luméa Shell Mosaic Tiles?
Our Shell Mosaic Tiles are decorative tiles suitable for walls including wet areas. For Luméa shell mosaic tile specifications, click here.