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A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Japan Black Pearl Promotion Association: Founded in October 1993, the association promotes cultured pearls from French Polynesia in Japan. Japanese lingah: Popular name for the Pinctada fucata...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z L-grade: Letter grade assigned to low-grade pearls by Japan's Pearl Inspection Offices from 1952 to 1998. La Paz pearls: Natural pearls from the Gulf of California, Mexico. Produced by the...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Cabochon: In gemology, a usually round or oval shaped gemstone with a domed top and flat bottom; hence, a pearl of that shape. Calcareous concretion: Whether nacreous or not, all pearls are...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Dadjin: A 19th-century pearler's basket used to hold mollusk shells and a knife. Dana: Historical Persian quality factor describing a perfect round natural pearl larger than 7 mm...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Faceted cultured pearl: Pearl carved to create rhombic or triangular surface shapes that produce a sparkling optical effect when the wearer moves. Fancy colors: Most often associated with...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Gajamukta: So-called pearl said to come from the heads or tusk sockets of elephants; also called elephant pearl. Gajamuthu: Same as gajamukta and elephant pearl. Ganglia or ganglions, plural...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z H-grade pearl: Letter grade assigned to a high-grade pearl by Japan's Pearl Inspection Office from 1952 to 1999. Half-drilled pearl: Pearl drilled to 2/3 or 3/4 of its diameter for setting in...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z I-pearls: Imitation pearls from Izumi, Japan. Icon pearl: Cultured blister pearl produced in the shape of an iconic object (usually a commercial image or even a trademark logo) by using a...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Karasu-gai: Japanese term for the Cristaria plicata (cockscomb) freshwater pearl mussel. Kago: Japanese term for pearl mollusk baskets suspended from longline systems. Kan: Historical...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Baby pearl: Also known as an "indicator pearl". A South Sea pearl from Indonesia grown for a brief period to produce a pearl sac. The nacre is typically very thin and the quality low. Baroque...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Abalone: A group of ancient marine gastropods (snails) that have a unique, flattened shell with small holes (gonopores), that inhabit many of the world's temperate waters. Their shells display...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Mabe: Originally, the Japanese trade term for an assembled blister pearl grown in Pteria penguin. In Japanese, that mollusk's name is mabe-gai, hence the pearl's name. Today, the word is used...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Nabatee: Arabian term for sugar used to describe pearls from the Persian Gulf that had a slightly off-white, yellowish color. Nacre: Aragonite and calcite platelets bound together by...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Occidental pearls: Historical term used to describe natural pearls from Mexico, dates to the 16th century but fell from usage after 1930. Oil pearls: Imitation pearls worked from the columella...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z PAPPE: Philippine Association of Pearl Producers and Exporters. Paraffin: A wax often used to fill the cavity of cultured and imitation blister pearls. Parasite theory: Natural pearl growth...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Quadrula metanerva: Natural pearl producing freshwater mollusk found in the United States, otherwise known as the monkeyface or knobbed rock shell. Quadrula nodulata: Natural pearl producing...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z radial structure: Calcite or aragonite crystals of a pearl's prismatic layer are arranged in a pattern, so they radiate like rays of sunlight from a central core. In a cross-section view, the...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z saltwater pearl: Natural or cultured pearl produced by a saltwater mollusk. sand pearls: One of four Saxony quality factors used to describe natural German river pearls; sand pearls are of low...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Tahitian cultured pearl: Produced by a black-lip mollusk (Pinctada margaritifera) in French Polynesia. Tahiti cultured pearl: Produced by a black-lip mollusk (Pinctada margaritifera) in French...

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z Unio: Genus in the Unionidae freshwater mussel family. Several species in the genus produce nacreous pearls. Underwater platform: Used in French Polynesia as a temporary care station from...