Keshi Pearls and Soufflé Pearls

Cultured Pearl Byproducts

Certain byproducts can form over the course of pearl cultivation, such as the shell and the meat of the mollusk. In some cases, this can include a pearl that forms in an unexpected manner.

Keshi pearls and soufflé pearls are two kinds of marketable cultured pearl byproducts. (Keshi pearls can also be created deliberately). They make perfect options for beautiful, affordable, and unique pearl jewelry.

What are Keshi Pearls?

Keshi pearls can develop when a mollusk rejects the bead nucleus intended to stimulate the growth of a cultured pearl. When this occurs, sometimes a piece of mantle tissue that accompanied the bead remains in the mollusk. A pearl sac may form around this tissue and ultimately yield a pearl. However, without the bead nucleus, these pearls are usually small and baroque, not the valuable round shapes pearl farmers typically intend to grow.

Keshi pearls can form in any nucleated mollusk and range in size from 1 to 10 mm. However, smaller sizes are more common, with most in the 1 to 4 mm range.

Can Gemologists Distinguish Between Keshi Cultured Pearls and Natural Pearls?

Composed entirely of nacre layers, keshi pearls have remarkable luster. In this…