What is Mother of Pearl?
Mother of Pearl is an organic stone formed in the shells of oysters and clams. It makes up the inner layer of the shell. Mother of Pearl is a strong and resilient material, and its main purpose is to offer protection for the animal it houses. The Mother of Pearl layer is smooth and shiny, helping to reduce the possibility of irritation or injury to the living mollusk.
How has Mother of Pearl been used in history?
Mother of Pearl has had such a varied history in the world of art and design. Mother-of-pearl’s decorative usage shows that it can serve a functional purpose -walk through the corridors of a Museum and you’ll spot mother-of-pearl on a pair of 17th-century bellows. It has also been used to create other items like delicate buttons or Korean jewellery boxes. While we might see it as an elegant material, used mostly for ornaments, mother-of-pearl has long been chosen by artisans for its durability and strength.
Amongst the floral jewellery boxes and delicate buttons on elegant blouses, mother-of-pearl has so many stories to tell. For instance, small reliefs carved into mother-of-pearl discs from 15th-century Europe have been found. The material was favoured by artisans who depicted religious scenes, often sold to Renaissance-era pilgrims, as they traversed around the continent in search of higher meaning. In a time long before publishing or photographs, these small reliefs, carved into the pearly surface, could tell and retell stories of a person’s belief, long after the memory of the pilgrimage itself had faded. Still employed in keepsakes and jewellery, mother-of-pearl has an iridescent beauty that spans centuries and cultures, right up to the present day.
What does Mother of Pearl symbolise?
Mother-of-pearl, with its infinitely varied iridescent hues is symbolic of strength, protection, wisdom, clarity and intuition.
A lightweight yet amazingly strong material, mother of pearl can bring both levity and strength to those in its presence. And, its energy, or the vibration of the sound it makes, can be compared to a musical instrument; it carries within it a very soothing quality for both the body and mind, linked to the gentle movement of water.
The name mother of pearl probably comes from the fact that pearls are “born” within the nacre-lined “belly” of the mollusk, making mother-of-peal a maternal archetype of sorts—a symbol of the divine feminine and motherly wisdom, full of love and nurturing that can even bring balance to the female hormones.
Mother of pearl’s luminous glow is thought to symbolize its quality as a source of connection to light, clarity, and intuition—helping its wearers to feel guided and confident in their decisions and discernment.
Wearing Mother of Pearl symbolises good luck and prosperity. Mother of Pearl is also said to have a profound calming quality to those who wear it.
The 'Isla Collection'
Mother of Pearl is a material I’ve been working with since last year and I’m still not tired of its beautiful iridescent-like glow. Mother of Pearl has been used in jewellery for a long time, but it has never quite reached the status of pearls. Right now, I think there is a lot of room for new designs using this beautiful material.
Mother of Pearl and its wonderful iridescence has inspired my two new 'Isla' necklace designs. The necklaces feature a mother of pearl inlay in organically shaped gold casings, and they’re beautiful.
The necklaces are named ‘Isla’ meaning ‘island’, because of the shell origin & because it’s also very fitting for the water-like glow.
Pictured above: 'Isla' Pendant Necklace and 'Isla' Satellite Necklace
Shop the 'Isla' Collection Here