Abalone vs. Mother-of-Pearl, do you know what are the differences?
Abalone shell vs. Mother-of-Pearl
It’s really confusing when someone asks the difference between Abalone and mother-of-pearl. It is confusing in the sense that one refers to the shell and the other to the organism inside the shell. The terms Abalone and mother-of-pearl are both interchangeable and one cannot see much difference between them.
Mother-of-pearl is a layer of lines inside the shell of a mollusk. Also known as the nacreous layer, the mother of pearl is the shiny layer that forms inside the shell. Abalone and pearl oysters are known to be good sources of mother of pearl.
Mother-of-pearl is mainly used to decorate jewelry, musical instruments, and furniture. Mother of pearl is actually a protective shield created by mollusks. Mother of pearl also protects mullocks from infections and reduces irritation caused by organic matter that enters the shell.
What is Mother-of-Pearl?
Nacre or Mother of Pearl is a mixture of organic and inorganic materials produced by a mollusk as the inner layer of the animal’s shell; it is also the material that makes up the surface of the pearl’s luster, and it is a very strong but flexible material with a wide range of vibrant colors.
Mother-of-pearl material is generally found in the outer layer of pearls and in the inner layer of the shells of pearl oysters or freshwater pearl mollusks;
The inner layer of the shells of many other mollusks also contains mother-of-pearl, such as the sea gastropods of the genus Haliotidae (abalone snails), Trochidae (bell snails), and Turbinidae (salamander snails).
What is Abalone?
Abalone belongs to the shell family and is a tasty gastropod. The abalone has a shell that resembles an ear. The shell of the abalone has a raised apex towards the center. The inside of the abalone is similar to mother-of-pearl, and abalone shells are mainly used in jewelry settings and musical instruments.
The abalone has a darker iridescent hue than the mother-of-pearl, which has a milky shade. Its main distribution is along the Pacific coast and around some of its islands, with the greatest variety and abundance, followed by the Indian Ocean, the least in the Atlantic Ocean, and none along the Arctic Ocean.
Although mother-of-pearl can be obtained from a variety of marine and freshwater shellfish, abalone is not abundant. Moreover, abalone harvests are limited.
Abalone vs. Mother-of-Pearl inlays
What is abalone inlay?
The abalone shell is a richly colored sea shell that when polished makes a beautiful ornament. It is used as a popular inlay material in musical instruments such as guitar and bass.
What is the mother-of-pearl inlays?
Mother-of-pearl inlays are used to decorate everything you want, such as jewelry, boxes, kits, wood, houses, etc.
Mother-of-pearl is usually pure white. Sometimes it has grey or silver swirls or other colors in it, but basically, it is white. There are exceptions, such as the golden mother-of-pearl which is sometimes used to restore the inlays on vintage instruments. Abalone is usually thought of as green.
Abalone vs. Mother-of-Pearl price
Abalone is usually more expensive; first, the meat for Abalone is a delicacy, and Abalone can be harder and more expensive to find.
Abalone vs. Mother-of-Pearl, What is the difference between Abalone and mother-of-pearl?
1. The terms abalone and mother-of-pearl are both interchangeable and one cannot tell the difference between them.
2. Mother-of-pearl is a layer of lines inside the shell of a mollusk. It is also known as the pearl layer.
3. Mother-of-pearl is actually a protective shield created by mollusks. Mother-of-pearl also protects the mullock from infections and reduces irritation caused by organic matter that enters the shell.
4. Abalone belongs to the shell family and is a tasty gastropod. Abalone and pearl oysters are known to be good sources of mother-of-pearl.
5. Abalone has a darker iridescent hue compared to mother-of-pearl, which has a creamy white hue.
6. Although mother-of-pearl can be obtained from a variety of marine and freshwater shellfish, abalone is not abundant. Abalone harvests are also limited.
Notes.
Mother-of-pearl and abalone although for many years their abalone shells have been used to make beads, inlays, and other jewelry ornaments and gemstone products.
At the same time abalone is also a highly nutritious food that is loved by a wide range of people, but of course, we need to pay special attention to the method of consumption and processing:
Must be cleaned before eating, because abalone itself has no toxins, but there will be some bath parasites, etc., must be added to salt water soak for 48 hours. There are also some people who are sensitive to this and should not be consumed.
When using them as artifacts, any process should pay attention to safety, it includes machine cutting, manual grinding, etc., the intermediate process will produce a lot of dust, in addition to the cutting is more dangerous, and only under the guidance of experienced masters can further processing be carried out.
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