About Pearl Nacre | Tensei Pearl
About pearl nacre
The thickness of a pearl's nacre is called "maki" (nacre thickness). Nacre is the most important factor in choosing pearls. Because nacre thickness directly affects luster and how much a pearl changes over time, Tensei Pearl takes particular care with it in cultivation.
Comparing nacre
Maki means the thickness of the nacre. Nacre is formed by thousands of layers of calcium carbonate crystals about 0.4μ (microns) thick and a protein called conchiolin.
One-year pearls (tōnenmono) can sometimes have thick nacre, but koshimono (two-year) pearls are cultivated longer, so they are more likely to have thick nacre.
How nacre changes luster
Comparing the surfaces and cross-sections in the photo, you can see that the thicker the nacre, the more the ball at the center of the pearl stands out. Even if the finished pearls are the same size, different nucleus sizes mean different quality. It depends on the size, but a nacre thickness of 0.4mm to 0.6mm on each side can be called standard. Among large pearls, there are rarely even pearls with nacre over 1mm thick.
Nacre thickness and changes over time
Pearls are organic, so they always change over time. Apart from changes clearly visible to the eye, their composition always changes. It is generally said that the thicker the nacre, the less a pearl changes over time, but once the nacre is above a certain thickness, it will not discolor quickly. Pearls with extremely thin nacre (0.2mm or less) carry risks such as the nucleus showing through or the surface nacre peeling off.
Nacre and luster
People tend to think that the thicker the nacre, the stronger the luster, but note that if the nacre itself is not of good quality, no amount of thickness will make a pearl beautiful. If the layers are uneven or cloudy, light is not reflected and no interference colors appear. So a fine pearl can be described as one with thick nacre made of clear, high-quality layers.
About pearl lusterGrowing pearls with thick nacre
Compared with one-year cultivation, two-year (koshimono) cultivation takes longer and means facing many risks: the risk of time, of pearls being damaged in the sea, of oysters dying, and of changes in the natural environment. On Yura Peninsula, an environment well suited to koshimono cultivation, we overcome these risks and work hard to make beautiful pearls while caring for the health of the oysters.
