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Back to Basics: What is Mother of Pearl?

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Bani Sachdeva
Back to Basics: What is Mother of Pearl?

Many people would recognize mother of pearl furniture in Singapore when they saw it, but how many of us actually know what this material is, where it comes from or how it is made? Or, more specifically, how many know the difference between mother of pearl and pearls?

The Basics

Unsurprisingly, pearls and mother of pearl are made of the same substance: nacre, an iridescent material composed of calcium carbonate.

Nacre is created by mollusks to protect their soft interior tissue. The difference between pearls and mother of pearl is placement, with the latter being formed on the inner linings of a shell.

A pearl, on the other hand, is created when a foreign object enters the shell and the mollusk encases the foreign object in order to protect itself. The material used to create the encasement is the same nacre, also called mother of pearl.

The end result of this foreign object being encased in nacre is a round-shaped pearl, whereas mother of pearl takes the shape of the shell that it lines.

Have you wondered about the source of mother of pearl’s iridescent appearance? The answer is in the nacre material itself, which is secreted by the epithelial cells. The epithelial cells secrete thin platelets, or building blocks of nacre.

Thin platelets of calcium carbonate secreted by the mollusk have a width which matches that of many light waves. This is what gives the nacre its unique beauty, sought after in the creation of everything from pearl jewelry and watches to furniture.

Nature’s Iridescent Treasure

When you hear the term mother of pearl jewelry, this is not in reference to the nacre that coats the outside of the gemstones. Instead, it refers to the nacre that can be found coating the inside layer of the mollusk’s shell.

When the iridescent material is set in metals and other jewelry pieces, only a thin layer of the sediment is used, similar to a boulder opal. Jewelers can then cut or carve the substance into various shapes.

This allows the creation of striking, unique jewelry pieces that truly depict the beauty of nature itself.

 

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Bani Sachdeva
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