A pearl farm is not only in the business of round white pearls. Cultivation produces a family of materials and shapes that each have their own market, and knowing them helps buyers and designers understand what they are looking at.
Mother-of-pearl
The shell lining itself is nacre — the same material as pearl. Mother-of-pearl is cut into buttons, inlay, watch dials and decorative panels, and whole shell beads from some molluscs are used as nuclei for growing other pearls.
Keshi and baroque
Keshi pearls form when the mollusc rejects the implanted nucleus but keeps producing nacre — a solid-nacre, usually irregular pearl prized by designers. Baroque simply means any non-round pearl shape; many of the most striking contemporary pearl jewellery pieces are built around baroque forms because no two are alike.
Mabé and blister pearls
Blister pearls grow attached to the shell; mabé pearls are cultured half-pearls grown against the shell then cut and backed — the classic half-dome used in rings and pendants where a large look is wanted at moderate cost.
Where to learn this
The byproducts and unusual forms of cultivation are covered alongside the pearl types in the gem-trade curriculum at JDMIS (GT100), and demonstrated in the school’s pearl masterclass.
Frequently asked questions
What is mother-of-pearl?
The shell lining itself - nacre, the same material as pearl. It is cut into buttons, inlay, watch dials and decorative panels, and whole shell beads from some molluscs are used as nuclei for growing other pearls.
What are keshi and baroque pearls?
Keshi pearls form when the mollusc rejects the implanted nucleus but keeps producing nacre - a solid-nacre, usually irregular pearl prized by designers. Baroque simply means any non-round pearl shape.
What is a mabe pearl?
A cultured half-pearl grown against the shell, then cut and backed - the classic half-pearl dome used in rings and pendants where a large look is wanted at moderate cost.