KESHI PEARL

Multi-strand keshi pearl necklace

Species:  Pearl
Pearl Type:  Keshi (Non-nucleated)
Mollusk:  (Various mollusks and mussels)
​​Mohs Hardness:  2.5 to 4.5 out of 10
Color:  White to shades of yellow, pink, green, blue and gray
RI:  1.350 to 1.685 (+0.009 / -0.005)
Birefringence:  0.155 (use birefringence blink method)
SR/DR/AGG:  Too opaque to test
Spectrum:  Not diagnostic
Fluorescence:  Varies.  Inert to strong light blue, yellow, green or pink under LW and SW.
SG:  2.61

SHOP PEARL JEWELRY

SHOP DIAMOND JEWELRY

Keshi Pearl Facts

Multi-color baroque keshi pearl necklace

What are keshi pearls?

Are they natural or are they cultured?

Well, they're a little bit of both!

Keshi pearls are not cultured, but are a byproduct of the culturing process.

Like natural pearls, keshi pearls are non-nucleated.  This means they are made entirely of nacre.

Keshi pearls can have very strong orient (multi-colored, iridescent overtones).

Keshi pearls can occur in both saltwater mollusks and freshwater mussels.

Keshi pearls are usually caused by a mishap in the culturing process where the grafted mantle tissue separates from the nucleus.