A Mabe Pearl is a hemispherically shaped pearl which is grown against the inside of the oyster's shell, rather than within its tissue. Mabe Pearls occasionally appear in nature. Cultured mabe pearls are grown intentionally, by using a hemispheric nucleus, rather than a round one, and by implanting it against the oyster's shell, rather than within its tissue. The pearl then develops in a hemispheric form, with a flat back.
Cultured mabes are used for such things as rings and earrings, rather than for stringing on necklaces.
