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MABE PEARL
Mabe pearl, also known as “rainbow pearl” is a brilliant form of cultured pearl that is prized by jewelry afficianados the world around. Known for its rainbow color and iridescent champagne hues with golden undertones, has often been compared to South Sea pearls and Tahitian black pearls, the major difference being that mabe pearls have a better luster.
Nearly all mabe pearl sold today are semi-spherical pearl, also known as “mabe blister pearl” for its fried egg appearance of a blister shape. Its culturing techniques are similar to those used for Tahitian black pearls and South Sea pearls. However, the irritant object used to form the pearl, is not round but semi-spherical in shape, and attached to the shell interior between the body and the shell base. Because of this fact alone, mabe blister pearls are often very large in size and come in large irregular shapes, with more pearl surface area for the wearer to enjoy.
A mabe pearl grows attached to the inner surface of the oyster shell. After the pearl reaches a sufficient size, it is then cut from the shell, and the semi-spherical nucleus bead which was originally inserted into the oyster shell to make the pearl grow, is removed, and the remaining hole is filled with a paster or wax,. It is then covered with a mother-of-pearl backing. The resulting pearl has a pearly nacre coating almost the same as a whole cultured pearl. The main difference is that it tends to be a little thinner, however much larger in diameter with more pearlescent surface area.
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