Often the names: Abalone & Mother of Pearl are interchangeable to most people. But just as the Ammonite & Ammolite are one and the same yet two separate things entirely; as is Abalone and Mother of Pearl.
Abalone is a beautiful shell showing a play of bright blues, black, brown and turquoise across a polished surface…a dark rainbow of colors say some. Abalone shells are the outer housing, or exoskeleton of sea-creatures, and they are a wonderful vessel in which to find Mother of Pearl.
Mother of Pearl is a layer of light colored lines inside the shells of mollusks in general, creating a protective shield. Known to some as the ‘nacre’ such as on a pearl; it is the shiny layer that forms inside of the shell.
Pearl oysters and Abalone are known to be wonderful sources for Mother of Pearl. Both will be addressed here as the same basic ‘gemstone’ as they both carry the same properties; just as the Ammonite and Ammolite; with very few variations.
What is considered an Organic Gem?
While many minerals are considered gemstones, there are also a number of materials that have been infused, infilled or partially replaced by organic materials; as well as natural organisms that have been mineralized then used and considered valuable ‘gems’ throughout all our time.
Organic materials considered gemstones include but are not limited to: Amber, Bone, Coral, Ivory, Pearls, Mother of Pearl, Abalone as well as meteorites such as Moldavite
Organic materials that have been mineralized to gemstones include: Dino Bone (Gem Bone, Gembone) Petrified Wood, Fossils such as Ammolilte and Ammonite; during the mineral infilling the organic structure is preserved therefore it remains an organic material, and thus an Organic Gem.