Mother of Pearl - Opal of the Sea

Mother of pearl is the iridescent substance called nacre, found on the inside of some mollusks. The word nacre comes from the Arab word naqqarah which means shell. It has been used for ornament, decoration and jewelry since 3000 B.C.E. Tombs have been discovered on the sites of ancient Mesopotamia in the Middle East that contained items made of mother of pearl. In some ancient cultures it was valued more than pearls. Before the 19th century, Japanese shell divers would discard any pearls found in the oysters they got, and keep the shell.

Ancient China also used mother of pearl for decorative inlay for various objects and jewelry. The Chinese powdered it and used it in medicines and prescribed it to lower blood pressure, as a cure for dizziness and as a heart medication. Native populations of South and North America also used mother of pearl for decoration and medicine.

In the Middle Ages in Europe, the main source of mother of pearl was the Persian Gulf. By the 16th century, this source had been depleted due to the huge demand. New sources were found in the Pacific. Areas in the Pacific such as The Solomon Islands and Tahiti were then plundered of their supply of nacre producing mollusks until the late 1880's when France gained control of Tahiti and restricted it. By the early 20th century the area was no longer a source of nacre.

In America, mother of pearl had been used mostly as an inlay for furniture until the 19th century saw it used for buttons. Muscatine, Iowa became the center of pearl button manufacture, and 'clammers' fished the Mississippi and other rivers for the nacre producing fresh water mussels. The buttons would be formed by punching out round pieces of the mussel shell. Billions of pearl buttons were manufactured, but they were very labor intensive to produce. By the beginning of World War II, the pearl button industry shifted to the production of plastic buttons as they were less expensive to make.

Mother of pearl continues to be used as decoration for many items such as furniture, musical instruments, and jewelry. Modern mother of pearl comes from fresh water and salt water sources in Europe, Asia, The United States, Japan and Asia. Mother of pearl that comes from abalone shell is some of the most valuable. With its iridescence and beauty, this opal of the sea is still in demand and highly valued.

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The Difference Between Pearl and Mother of Pearl

Pearl, just like diamonds, has been a symbol of elegance for women. Mother of pearl, on the other hand, has also brought class and style in different jewelry, art crafts and architectural pieces.

We have been seeing pearls and mother of pearl everywhere - from ladies' earrings, to necklaces, to watches, to dinnerware, to furniture - but what really is the difference of the two? They may have come from the same organic, living source, but how do we differentiate one from the other?

Pearls are formed in oysters through the accumulation of substance called nacre, which is, in fact, the mother of pearl, and is the material lining the oyster shell. Pearls are formed around a solid piece of foreign object that has become lodged inside the oyster shell.

A pearl is made of layers of crystalline forms of calcium carbonate held together by an organic substance known as conchiolin. Its composition is identical to that of the nacre, which forms the interior layer of the mollusk or oyster shell.

As mentioned, mother of pearl (or nacre), is a material that forms the shell lining of most mollusks. Some sources of mother of pearl which are used as an inlay in jewelry and furniture are abalone and oysters. MOP comes in different natural colors and is processed (dyed) for decorative purposes.

Today, we see pearl and mother of pearl not only in women's jewelry but also in men's jewelry. There are men's watches which are actually made of mother of pearl. Moreover, there are also pearl cufflinks and mother of pearl cufflinks, which give the same kind of elegance as other kinds of cufflinks which are made in silver and gold.

Each pair of pear or mother of pearl cufflinks has its own reflective properties, making each cufflink a unique work of art. For one, they are not like other substances like silver or gold which can have the same properties when manufactured in volume. It is for this reason that every pair of pearl and mother of pearl cufflinks have its own stories to tell. Just like other naturally occurring substances, mother of pearl develops irregularities as it forms. Thus, every piece of mother of pearl jewelry - be it earrings or cufflinks - is slightly different. Such irregularities may also appear in cheaper jewelry which is not as carefully crafted.

Whether a man prefers the rounded pearl cufflinks or cufflinks with an inlay of mother of pearl, what is important is that because nature has a great way of making each natural substance unique, it makes it more possible to cater to every man's unique personality. Consider it as nature's way of meeting the demands of the pearl fashion market.

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