Shells are masterpieces of nature of amazing beauty, with sinuous and elegant shapes and wonderful colours, they are sculptures that remain unchanged for a very long time.
The outside part of the shell, covered with limestone and marine deposits, is unattractive but hides the mother of pearl with its iridescent colours: blue, green and purple that fade in shades of yellow and pink, with hints of gold and silver.
The shells and therefore also the mother of pearl are composed of 98% calcium carbonate and of 2% water. Consequently, the mother of pearl is waterproof and doesn’t fear the contact with water.
The form of the shell depends on the way according to which the calcium crystals join each other, while the colour is determined by the light filtering into the sea and by the quality of the water.
As mother of pearl is a natural material, its shade and iridescence may vary at each supply. For this reason the colour of the samples is only indicative.
Thanks to its particular iridescence it has been used to produce jewelry for thousands of years. The finest and most precious mother of pearl is from the shells of the deep seas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Some shells grow spontaneously, others are cultured in fresh or sea water in dedicated areas, in full respect of their natural habitat.
Our mother of pearl is obtained only from shells species that are not protected by the international conventions.