Keshi Pearls
Occasionally, when pearls are harvested, a non- nucleated pearl is found. These pearls are not cultured as such, but are a by-product of the culturing process when a previously cultured oyster produces a pearl because an irritant still exists within the pearl after harvest.
These pearls are actually a freak of nature and as such are composed almost completely of nacre which explains their unusual shapes and their magnificent luminosity.
Keshi pearls are not found in large quantities but are rather a very rare form of pearl.
The word Keshi is a Japanese word meaning “poppy” and in Japan, are found in the seas around Japan. This term is used for all pearls that have grown without a nucleus. Originally, keshi pearls referred to those pearls in which the nucleus was rejected. The Keshi Pearls can take up to seven years to form.
Today, Keshi pearls can still be found in the seas around Japan and are saltwater pearls. The pearls from which we produce our jewellery grow in freshwater and are mostly from China.
The Keshi Pearl is developed in a challenging environment. They develop in the older molluscs that take longer to produce nacre and are really an ‘accident” of nature. Their adaptability is due in part to the fact that they come in many shapes, lustres, colours and sizes.
These pearls are irregular in shape but very lustrous; a truly unique and valuable gem of
nature. Keshi pearls really are a surprise of nature and often referred to as the
‘Queen of Pearls’.
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