Mother of Pearl Necklaces

Mother of pearl is nacre, the iridescent layer that lines the inside of an oyster or abalone shell and coats a pearl. It is a natural material, not a manufactured one, and it is cut into flat shapes and inlaid into metal. The shifting white and pink sheen comes from light bouncing through microscopic layers of nacre.

Yes, with a little care. Nacre is softer than gemstone, so it can scratch against a hard surface or a diamond piece worn next to it. Keep it off during the pool and the shower, wipe it with a soft dry cloth, and store it away from other jewelry. Worn against clothing rather than stacked, it lasts for years.

Warmer than it looks in photographs. The nacre picks up the gold around it, so a mother of pearl clover in 14K yellow gold reads cream rather than stark white, and it suits warm and olive skin tones particularly well. Against white gold the same stone reads cooler and closer to true white.

The clover pendants are half an inch across on chains adjustable from 16 to 18 inches. The Italian-made heart and bar stations repeat smaller pieces of shell along an 18 inch chain. The two medallions are the largest, with mother of pearl centers of 2.62 and 3.33 carats set inside a ring of round diamonds.