Pearl of KOBE - How pearls are born -

THE BIRTH OF PEARL I
A master piece of a pearl is born from pain and suffering of the mother oyster

　　1.Inseration of a nucleus
　　2.Recuperation・Back to the sea
　　3.Hama-Age(Harvesting)
　　4.Washing・Drilling
　　5.Removing stains
　　　　　　・Bleaching・Sorting
　　6.Matching and Stringing

1.Inseration of a nucleus

　There is a membrane called "Mantle Tissue" which secretes an element in forming a shell in Akoya oyster. If a tiny foreign particles gets into the body of an oyster, the mantle tissue secretes around it continuously. Cultured pearl is made by utilizing this character of mantle tissue. The first step of cultivation, a technician inserts a small nucleus ,which is made of freshwater mussels from the Mississippi River in the U.S., in which mantle tissue secretes and forms pearl nacre.