Mother of Pearl Jewelry

Mother of Pearl, also called nacre has been used as jewelry for thousands of years. Traditionally June's birthstone, the use Mother of Pearl rings and necklaces can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as the Roman and Egyptian empires.

Facts About Mother of Pearl:

Naturally occurring substance created by different varieties of mollusk
Mother of Pearl is traditionally the birthstone of June
Iridescent in color, Mother of Pearl is found in black and white
The use of Mother of Pearl dates back to 4500 bc

Where of Mother of Pearl Comes From

Mother of Pearl is a naturally occurring substance created by certain varieties of mollusks, sea animals with a shell. The most common mollusk which creates mother of pearl is the Nautilus shell. The Nautilus shell creates white and black Mother of Pearl as an interior lining in their shell. The creation of mother of pearl is similar to the creation of pearls. Other sources of Mother of Pearl are freshwater mussels, pearl mussels and abalone(commonly known as the sea snail).

These sea creature do not create nacre for visual beauty, they use it to help defend the smooth surface of their soft tissue from parasite and debris which can injure them. The process in which these creatures create Mother of Pearl or nacre is called encystation and continues for the life time of the mollusk.

The History of Mother of Pearl

The use of Mother of Pearl for jewelry and decoration can be dated back to 4500 BC. Historians have found mention of the use of "pearls which were not perfectly round" and discovered architecture which used inlays of Mother of Pearl.

Around 3000 BC, Mother of Pearl was given its name by the reigning queen of England, Queen Elizabeth. From this time on, Mother of Pearl has been used heavily throughout the years. The uses include: architecture, jewelry, furniture and tools.

In recent history, Mother of Pearl became very popular in the 1900's. At this time, mother of pearl was used prevalently for the creation of buttons.

Healing Properties of Mother of Pearl

Traditionally Mother of Pearl has been know to have calming and protection properties. Associated with the moon and Neptune, Mother of Pearl is known as a protecting stone. Mother of Pearl is know to bring the healing powers of the sea to those who posses it and is know to bring out out intuition, imagination and creativity. Beyond it's healing powers, white and black Mother of Pearl is known for its calming abilities and for aiding in the elimination of fear and worries.

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