How Are Mallorca Pearls Made?

Mallorca pearls come from the Spanish island of Mallorca.

Mallorca pearls originally came from the Spanish island of Mallorca or Majorca. The faux pearls have been made by local women since the 19th century. Mallorca pearls are similar in appearance to natural pearls.

Natural Pearls

Mallorca pearls are man-made.

Mallorca pearls are not made the same way a natural or cultured pearl is formed. Natural pearls form when a foreign body is introduced into a mollusk and the host forms a coating, or nacre, around the substance.

Imitation Pearls

Mallorca pearls are not actually pearls at all. They are completely man-made, starting with a glass ball.

Coating

The ball is coated with a special paste made of oil and ground-up fish scales or mother-of-pearl.

Completing the Process

The coating is dried and polished by hand. The process is repeated multiple times to achieve the desired color and uniformity.

Comparisons

While Mallorca pearls possess a beauty and luster similar to real pearls, they have a uniformity that real pearls lack. Mallorca pearls are manufactured to look the same; natural pearls cannot be formed to look identical. Mallorca pearls take only a few weeks to make, while natural pearls take years to form.

References

• Best of Mallorca
• The Affordable Treasure

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish