How is Mother of Pearl Different from a Pearl?

A pearl is also made up of nacre. When a pearl is formed, a layer of nacre is deposited around a small particle that becomes lodged in a mollusk, either naturally or inserted by a human being. This nacre eventually develops around the tiny item and becomes a pearl. This exterior layer of a pearl, despite being made of nacre, is not referred to as the mother of pearl.

Mother of pearl has a very different multi-colored impact and a slight glow comparable to other optically impressive moon-like gemstones. Non-nacre mollusk shells will look more like soft, uniform porcelain.

For jewelry, pearl mom generally refers to the thin nacre layer that is adhered straight to the shell of the mollusk. Not all mollusk shells, however, have a nacre coating. The primary distinction between a shell that has a pearl coating mother and a shell that is not the iridescent quality.

When the word pearl mother is used in jewelry, it does not refer to all nacre including the layer of a pearl. Instead, it refers to the nacre that coats the mollusk shell's inner layer. Mother of pearl laid into jewelry consists of only a thin layer of sediment comparable to an opal rock. This thin layer can be cut or carved into cabochon-like shapes.

Like pearls, the mother of pearl jewelry falls within the category referred to as organic jewelry — jewelry that comes from a living creature, plant, or animal.

In a number of respects, the mother of pearl jewelry and pearl jewelry look very distinct. Mother of pearl jewelry can have much bigger focal parts than pearls since the material takes up the interior of a whole shell. Most mother of pearl is found in fine jewelry settings.  Pearls are generally drilled and strung instead of set. Pearls are thick, rounded gems that max out at a certain size. Mother of pearl is thin and slightly rounded.