material. In the collage below some of the pieces are ones that I found at various places up
and down the coast between Gualala and Westport. The best beach I've found is near Mendocino
but is a challenge to get down to so not many people search there. I have found some wonderful
pieces there. Some I've used just as I found them although I polished them. Some I cut and sanded
and polished. You need to be very carefulwhen cutting or sanding as the dust is very toxic and
can cause harm. Some of the pieces in the collage use pieces I've found, some are Paua shell,
a type of abalone that comes from New Zealand that I buy in a variety of shapes. Most of the
jewels pictured are made of a mixture of silver, copper, gold and sometimes brass. I have boxes
full of abalone pieces that I've collected over the years.
