Pure Pearls Glossary
Mabe Pearl
A half-dome pearl grown against the inside of the shell rather than free in the tissue. Flat-backed, so it suits rings and pendants.
A mabe forms when a hemispherical nucleus is fixed to the shell's inner wall. The mollusc coats the exposed side, producing a dome with a flat base.
After harvest the dome is cut out, the nucleus removed, and the hollow filled and backed. So a finished mabe is an assembled piece, not a whole pearl.
The appeal is size for the money. A 15mm mabe costs a fraction of a 15mm round pearl.
When you are buying
Because the back is flat and filled, mabe pearls are best in settings that protect the base — a ring or a bezel-set pendant. Avoid them where the reverse gets knocked.
Read next
Mother of Pearl
The iridescent nacre lining of a mollusc shell — the same material as a pearl, but formed as a sheet rather than a bead.
South Sea Pearl
The largest commercially grown pearl, from the gold-lipped or silver-lipped oyster. Typically 9mm to 16mm, white to deep gold.
Bezel Setting
A metal rim wrapped around the edge of a stone or pearl to hold it. The most protective setting there is.
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