The underside of an abalone’s scraggly shell holds swirling iridescent patterns that change color with the light. Polished pieces of shell become saxophone keys, pocketknife handles and guitar ...

The abalone shell before excavation from the 100,000 year old, Middle Stone Age-levels at the Blombos Cave in South Africa. Photo by Science/AAAS. Researchers have unearthed two abalone shells ...

Jewelers may prize abalone shells for their mother-of-pearl, but scientists have long been equally enchanted by the shell’s strength. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have ...