| Hi Douglas,
Shell pearls have a mother of pearl bead at the core upon which several layers of some pearly looking substance have been applied. There are various basic application techniques at various price points available. The cheapest method are seven layers of dyed pearl powder dissolved in acrylic paint and sprayed onto the bead and the most expensive version precipitates aragonite crystals from a supersaturated solution onto the nucleus. The latter kind sells for hundreds of dollars by mail order and over a thousand dollars a strand on airports and in jeweler's stores. Even the simple kind costs easily a hundred dollars and over in retail world because they have substantial weight.
Zeide |