From the June 2022 issue of #thisispearl digital magazine

In what appears to be a major technological breakthrough in pearl aquaculture, Chilean scientists from the University of Antofagasta, Chile, have been successful in culturing bead-nucleated cultured pearls in the red abalone (Haliotis rufescens), a species that was imported into Chile from Mexico in the 1990s. Chile has been a major producer of farm-raised abalone for the meat available on the large foot of the animal, but just over a decade ago scientists started culturing mabé and spherical cultured pearls. Efforts have finally borne fruit.

Dr. Rubén Araya Valencia of the University of Antofagasta’s Technological program leads the efforts behind these arguably impossible-to-produce pearls. First, Valencia produced mabé pearls, something that had already been done in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, though the main producer is New Zealand. Then, through his unique new delicate surgical techniques, his team cultured the first-ever roundish abalone pearls that clearly show the unique natural traits and blue-green coloration with lavender overtones of the variety, as well as some dark protein deposits. These first pearls display a unique tapered look, probably due to the way the pearl sac heals within the organism’s body. Valencia also achieved post-operatory mortality rates of less than 1% with about a 35% rejection rate, which is in line with other saltwater pearl operations. The main issue behind abalone pearl culturing is that these organisms are not able to clot wounds, thus they die by bleeding—a hemophile effect of sorts. As a result of Valencia’s program’s efforts, his team has been able to patent their technology in Chile, Australia, South Africa, Korea, and Mexico, with other nations still pending.

Abalone belong to a group of marine snails known as archaic gastropods (Vetigastropoda) which come from an ancient lineage. Sometimes they are thought to be clams due to the shape of their shells. Abalone is from a family of mollusks (Haliotidae) that comprise up to 130 different species worldwide.

This article originally ran on Pearl-Guide.com.

https://www.pearl-guide.com/threads/cultured-beaded-abalone-pearls-from-chile.461339/