About Mabe Pearls

Mabe Pearl is a hemispherical pearl, which can only be collected from the Mabe oyster (AKA Pteria Penguin). The cultivation process starts with inserting a nucleus inside the oyster shell instead of the flesh. The entire cultivation period from collecting young oysters to harvesting Mabe pearls, takes at least 4 - 6years of time.

Unlike other pearls, Mabe pearls can grow up to 30mm in size and consist of extraordinary luster. Mabe pearl with strong luster and great color intensity can only be found in 1 out of a few thousands oysters, which is extremely rare.

Mabe pearl was endangered until one International Jewelry Brand developed the cultivation of Mabe pearls in 1970. Before that, Mabe pearl was only possessed by the upper class, such as the British Royal Family.

Shapes of Mabe Pearls

The shape of Mabe pearls can be very diverse, this is all determined by the shape of pearl nucleus being inserted. The most commonly seen Mabe pearl shapes include Round, Drop, Oval, Marquise, Rhombus and Heart shape.

The biggest trait about Mabe Pearls is the smooth and shiny shell nacre that is being glued to the bottom of Mabe Pearls. One side of the pearls is therefore flat, which is very comfortable to wear.

Sizes of Mabe Pearls

Pearls that are grown up to 8mm are classified as scarce. One of the reasons why people are so obsessed with Mabe Pearls, is that the size of Mabe pearls is ranging from 10 to 20mm, and sometimes up to 30mm. Just like any other pearls, the larger the pearl, the higher in price. This is due to the difficulty in cultivating such large pearl.

Color of Mabe Pearls

The color of Mabe pearls is highly determined by the natural pigment contained in the nacre of the mother shell. People named Mabe pearl as the "Dreamy Pearl" is because of its distinctive rainbow interference colors that other pearls do not consist. The main body colors of Mabe pearls that are commonly seen in the market are white, blue and brown. 

Previous Value

Before the artificial seedling technology of mother shell was succeeded, the survival rate of the mother shell of Mabe pearls was extremely low. Even if they were able to survive, the shape and the quality overall were way far from meeting the standard to be classified as jewelry. Consequently, Mabe pearls were often in short supply. This is until a famous pearl jewelry brand successfully invented the seedling technology of Mabe pearls in 1970, but Mabe pearls are still relatively scarce in the market.

The New Fashion Icon. A symbol of the Royal Family

Mabe pearls nowadays are usually being made into ear studs, rings or pendants. The hemispherical shape of Mabe pearls allows them to stay nice and flat on our ear loops without deforming your ear loops. For drop shaped Mabe pearls, the line and the surface at the back stays perfectly and elegantly on your neck area. 

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