Mabe Pearls

These jewels are extracted from oysters through scientific methods that give them a unique shape. Tahitian Mabe pearls are a result of seeding a semicircular material on the inner tissue of an oyster commonly known as the Mabe. The end result is a semicircular pearl. These pearls are not a result of nature; they require human intervention to come up with this distinct shape. The process that leads to the creation of this pearl can be divided into two parts that are both very intentional.

As noted earlier, a semicircular substance is grafted into a black lip oyster’s tissue. This substance is left in the oyster for a period of six months, after which it is covered by several layers of nacre. It is then extracted deliberately from the shell of the oyster. The nucleus is removed and the resulting hole is then filled with a resin. Therefore the creation of Tahitian Mabe pearls is a very distinct human process, unlike the one that produces other pearls, and this gives it its unique shape.

The color of Tahitian Mabe pearls can also be influenced. They can be green, black or peacock green, depending on the substance used in grafting. They can be found on jewelry such as earrings, pendants, and brooches.

One of the most notable features of Tahitian Mabe pearls is that they tend to have a flat side. This is a direct result of the process used to cultivate the pearls. The pearl does not grow inside the oyster’s shell; rather, it grows beside it; hence, one of the sides is pressed up against the shell resulting in a flattened pearl rather than a spherical one.

Tahitian Mabes appear in different shapes, such as drop, oval, round, baroque, and heart as it is easy to seed the nucleus with substances that facilitate the process.