Question about pearls

Aug 06, 2006 5 Replies

Ok, this is probably a dumb question, but how do they get pearls in all those intersting shapes like coins, squares, hearts, and crosses? I have no idea.


They plant little crosses, squares, diamonds, etc. in the mussels. All cultured pearls have "seeds"; these are just bigger than most, and not round.

Georgia

with

It's usually oysters, not mussels (mussels don't produce the same quality nacre), but yeah....the technique is called "seeding."

KarenS

Would they put in something hollow that the seed is going to grow into and take the shape of?

They put in a shaped "seed" that the oyster covers with nacre.

-Amber.

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