| Many Chinese mussels are used to make nuclei although it is difficult to get the larger sizes from them. I have seen and worked with clam which does feature a similar cutting process. I have also seen ads for carbide drill bits promoting as being 'good to use for South Sea Pearls whose nuclei is sometimes hard'. No prize for guessing the type of nucleus!
Nuclei production typically works in well with button manufacturing. the buttons are made from the flatter section of the shell and the nuclei from the thicker section and/or the hinge. |