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What is Mother of Pearl?
Mother of Pearl, also called
nacre, is an iridescent layer of material which forms the shell lining
of many mollusks. The Pearly internal layer of certain mollusk shells,
used to make decorative objects. Also called nacre. Pearl oysters and
abalone are both sources of mother of Pearl, which is widely used as an
inlay in jewelry, furniture, and musical instruments. Mother of Pearl
comes in several natural colors, and is often bleached and dyed for
decorative use. The dye retains the shimmering layers which make mother
of Pearl so sought after. Nacre, also known as mother of Pearl, is an
organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an
inner shell layer. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. Nacre is
found in some bivalves, some gastropods and some cephalopods.
Mother of Pearl is the common
name for iridescent nacre, a blend of minerals that are secreted by
oysters and other mollusks and deposited inside their shells, coating
and protecting their bodies from parasites and foreign objects. Nacre is
the same substance that is deposited around an object that becomes
lodged in the mollusk--either naturally or inserted by humans--to become
a Pearl.
Keshi Pearls
Tiny Pearls, some a little bigger than a grain
of sand, which form naturally in many cultured Pearl oysters. Keshi is a
Japanese word for "poppy seed". Thus, keshi is also called the seed
Pearl deriving the name from its size. Keshi Pearls are irregularly
shaped...
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What is a Pearl?
A Pearl is a smooth, round growth formed naturally within
the shell of a mollusk due to an irritant and used as a
gem. A Pearl is a hard, roundish object produced within
the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living
shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of mollusks, a
Pearl is composed of calcium carbonate in minute
crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric
layers. The ideal Pearl is perfectly round...
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The Birth of a Pearl
The birth of a Pearl is truly a miraculous event. Unlike
gemstones or precious metals; which must be mined from the earth, Pearls
are grown by live oysters far below the surface of the sea. Gemstones
must be cut and polished to bring out their beauty...
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Pearl Luster
Luster is what many experts term the heart and soul of
the sea-grown gem. Throughout history, this unique luster has separated
Pearls from all other gems. For cultured Pearl experts, luster is
perhaps the most important indicator in evaluating cultured Pearl
quality...
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The History of Pearls
No one will ever know who were the earliest people to collect and wear Pearls. George Frederick Kunz a gemologist in his 1908 masterpiece - The Book of the Pearl, states his belief that an ancient fish-eating tribe, perhaps along the coast...
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Natural Pearls
A natural Pearl is a Pearl that forms in nature with no
human intervention. Natural Pearls, What is a Natural
Pearl Natural Pearls are grown in wild oysters. The
process begins when an irritant, such as a grain of sand
or a piece of shell, gets inside an oyster's shell...
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Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater Pearls are a kind of Pearl that comes from
freshwater mussels. They are produced in Japan and the
United States on a limited scale, but are now almost
exclusive to China The U.S. Federal Trade Commission
requires that freshwater Pearls are referred to as..
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Biwa Pearls
Biwa Pearl is a freshwater Pearl cultivated in a mollusk
only in Japan's Lake Biwa. Biwa Pearls are produced at
lake Biwa, Japan using freshwater clams. They are
irregular in shape but have good color and luster.
Instead of a bead a small square of mother of...
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Saltwater Pearls
Although freshwater Pearls can be grown in mussels and
other mollusks, saltwater Pearls are always grown in
oysters. Most saltwater Pearls are harvested in the Red
Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the coastal waters of India
and Japan. Generally, saltwater Pearls...
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Cultured Pearls
Cultured Pearls are those in which humans take a helping
hand. By actually inserting a foreign object into the
tissue of an oyster or mollusk, Pearl farmers can induce
the creation of a Pearl. The same natural process of
Pearl creation takes place...
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South Sea Pearls
South Sea Pearls is a generic name for the
Pearls, usually 9mm-16mm in size, produced by the two groups of large
Pearl producing oysters. These oysters can grow to 25-30 cm in size, and
are much rarer than their Akoya counterparts....
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Tahiti Cultured Pearls
Tahiti cultured Pearls are Pearl concretions
that are secreted inside the black-lipped Pinctada Margaritifera species
of Pearl oysters cultivated mainly in the lagoons of French Polynesia.
They consist of thick Pearly layers containing organic substances..
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Akoya Pearls
Akoya Pearls are found only in Japan, China,
and Vietnam. Japanese Akoya Pearl farms are shifting towards the warmer
Chinese waters, where these Pearls take only half as long to grow.
Overtone colors of Akoya Pearls include white, cream, rose, silver, and
green...
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The Pearl Myths
There are many myths
about Pearls that have continued through the centuries.
"Pearls of Wisdom", is a common saying and even
shares the title of some books in areas such as
medicine, country living, inspiration and wisdom
collections and Oriental teachings...
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How to Care for your Pearls
Pearls give the most natural glow under the morning
sunlight. Spotlights also enhance their appearance. Therefore, if, when
shopping for Pearls, the items are being displayed under direct sunlight
or bright artificial light, it would be best to request to have them...
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Back to 'All About Pearls' Summary
Ever since the ancient Egyptians first started creating
jewelry, Pearls have become one of the highest regarded gemstones. Even
today Pearls still hold their value due to the rarity of "mother nature"
creating this form of jewelry. Pearls are created from a core. The core
of a natural Pearl is simply a fragment of shell or fishbone, or a grain
of sand that strays into the unsuspecting Pearl oyster's shell. To
protect itself from this irritant the oyster secretes multiple layers of
nacre, forming a Pearl...
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What is Mother of Pearl?
