Nacre gemstone

Physical properties of nacre

Characteristics of nacre

Nacre (mother of pearls) is an inexpensive gemstone. In fact, it is the inner layer in the pearl shell of molluscs. And the composition of mother-of-pearl is almost identical to pearls - it's all the same aragonite.

Nacre is often referred to as the "mother of pearls". This name is used in many languages.

Nacre refracts light very well, so its color is very wide - from white to black. Nacre is characterized by a special iridescent tint.

Since ancient times, nacre has been a very attractive and inexpensive material for various decorations. It is difficult to process, but it is durable and does not require any special storage conditions.

When buying, you need to be very careful - artificial nacre is now being produced. In the production of artificial nacre, you can make it any color.

Nacre is mined in the Philippines, Japan, in the Red Sea, near the island of Ceylon, in the Persian Gulf.

In China, white nacre was highly valued. In Europe, jewelers made very fine and complex engravings on nacre. The boxes inlaid with pieces of nacre of various colors look beautiful. Even paintings were made from nacre.

The walls of the palace of the ancient Roman emperor Nero were completely finished with nacre. The Moscow Armory Chamber in Russia has very beautiful goblets made of nacre melted into silver.

How much is nacre

Nacre prices are low. Since the luster and color depend on the thickness, nacre is judged by the thickness. Beads made of pieces of nacre can be bought for $10 - $20. Beads of large processed nacre will cost about $100. Jewelry with nacre inserts are priced from $15 to $30.