Mabe pearl earrings

Mabe pearl is a Japanese term for pearls that are cultured against an oyster's shell rather than the oyster's body. The mabe pearls are semi-spherical with a relatively flat back. They are sometimes called blister pearls.

The culture of mabe pearls has been initiated by the Chinese several centuries ago (13th century), but they started to be popular only at the end of the 19th century. Many efforts have been made since to cultivate the mabe pearl on large scale, but they were not successfully until 1970 when pearl farmers were able to establish breeding techniques for the mabe pearl oyster. Since that time, mass production of cultured pearl has taken place. The biggest producers are located in Japan, Indonesia, Australia, and French Polynesia.

The shell for Mabe pearls is called the mabe pearl oyster or penguin wing oyster or Pteria penguin oyster.

Because they have one flattened side, mabe pearls are an ideal choice to make earrings and rings, but they are also used for many other pieces of jewelry.