Mother-of-pearl is a very versatile jewellery component as it can be used in many different ways; inlays, carvings, beads and cabochons. MOTHER-OF-PEARL, also known as nacre, is the iridescent inner lining found in some types of mollusc shells, pearl oysters and freshwater pearl mussel shells, and is also the main component of pearls. It is a very strong and resilient substance that is made up of layers of hexagonal platelets of aragonite (a form of calcium carbonate) arranged in an interlocking pattern, which are separated by sheets of organic matrix, comprised of silk-like proteins. This combination of materials arranged in such a pattern, while brittle on their own, makes nacre a very strong material (almost equivalent to silicone) and also decreases the likeliness of cracking or fracturing.
Mother-of-pearl appears iridescent…