Abalone Shell Nails

The colors of an abalone a.k.a. paua shell are so spectacular that they are meant to worn on nails.  I've owned jewelry made out of this shell but in order to get the right effect, I found the following picture as a reference:

I have also seen abalone or paua shell nail art by For Your Nails Only.


I first tried out this design on an index card and was satisfied that it looked close enough.

Test Run:

So after testing, I did these nails tonight and I think they look great!

To do these nails, I applied a clear base coat and then painted all my nails with one coat of Metallic Aqua.  I then sponged on Metallic Fuchsia and Metallic Green in random spots on each nail.  To add a bit more sparkle I applied a thin coat of iridescent glitter.  I then used Raven to draw in the lines and black detail.  Last, I applied Julep's Fast Drying Top Coat.  These Abalone Shell Nails turned out even better than I had hoped!

The only thing I might do differently is to try and find a smaller brush to do the black lines and detail.  I am very happy with the way these nails look!