Abalone Pearls, Some Of The Most Beautiful Pearls In The World
Abalone pearls are considered by many to be some of the most beautiful pearls in the world, and they are also some of the rarest. Abalone pearls come from the gastropod mollusk, Haliotis.
The inner mother-of-pearl shell of the abalone has an intense luster and a mixed color palette of blues, lavender, orange, green, pink and silver, in nearly every conceivable combination. The beauty of the abalone pearl is the reflection of this color potpourri in its typical irregular shape.
Abalone Pearls Have A Different Shape
Abalone pearls are rarely (but occasionally) symmetrical. The most common shape is the "horn" shape. This is due to the anatomy of the abalone. A large, brilliant, symmetrical pearl is a nearly one in 100,000 occurrence.
Culturing Abalone Pearls Is Difficult
Although abalone pearls are highly desirable and widely sought after, culturing these gems has been a very difficult venture. Abalone are hemophiliacs, and if they are nucleated in a fashion similar to a mollusk, they will bleed to death quite quickly. Because of this, only abalone mabe pearls have been successfully harvested on a large scale. The culturing process is distinctly similar to that of other pearl producing mollusks, except that much more care must be exercised so that the abalone sustains no internal damage.