What is a NACRE Pearl?

I am often asked by customers "are these Nacre pearls".  The question is difficult to answer as ALL pearls contain nacre.  It is an understanding of where the nacre is on different pearls that is the question.

Pronounced NAY-kur, this is more commonly known as "mother-of-pearl".  This is the organic substance which is found on the inside of a mollusk (pearl,

 mussel, etc). 

The shellfish which lives inside, secretes mother-of-pearl, coating the inside of the shell it lives in to create a smooth surface which they find more comfortable.  In New Zealand, this is commonly seen in the gorgeous colours inside a paua.

The sharp edges of sand and other irritants which find their way inside a shellfish can damage the soft tissues.  The shellfish produces more mother-of-pearl to coat the irritant if it is unable to expell it and this is how natural pearls are formed.  From the tiny grain of sand (or other foreign substances) which gets inside the shellfish, nacre is slowly built up to cover it, making it more comfortable for the shellfish to share the same space with.

Man-made pearls (also known as cultured pearls) are created by inserting a foreign body inside the shellfish.  The shellfish then covers this with several layers of nacre in the same way a natural pearl is created. 

These cultured pearls are indistinguishable from natural pearls from the outside as all we see is the nacre coating. 

Nacre is created in a wide range of colours, from the greens and blues present in paua shells to white, pink, peach and even grey and black in oysters.