Earrings only***
To create a mabe pearl, a hemispherical nucleus is inserted into the shell beneath the mantle tissue. The mollusk is then returned to the water to allow layers of lustrous nacre to develop. After many, many months, the blister pearl is cut away from the inner shell, the nucleus is removed and the hollow cavity is backed by a mother-of-pearl plate.
Even with the help of man, creating a mabe pearl is a time consuming process. Just the craft of seeding a mabe oyster takes years of training to master. However, the glistening, iridescent mabe pearls are well worth the wait.
