Historical Definition of Keshi Pearls

The term "keshi" was applied to pearls by Japanese pearl harvesters to describe tiny, seed-sized pearls found inside wild pinctada fucata, also known as Akoya oysters. These tiny pearls were referred to as keshi, which has the literal translation of poppy or poppy seed in Japanese. Keshi started out as a derogatory term referring to basically useless pearls because they were too small to be drilled. Therefore, the original definition of a Keshi pearl was quite succinct: the tiny, too small to drill, truly natural pearl that is harvested from a wild Akoya oyster, aka pinctada fucata.

During the 1920’s, Japanese pearl farmers started nucleating Akoya oysters to form cultured pearls. What they found was that many times, as a result of the nucleating/pearl creation process, small seed-like pearls would form adjacent to the nucleated pearl. These solid nacre byproducts that were formed by an Akoya oyster during the pearl creation also became known as keshi pearls. In order to garner some value out of the keshi pearls, the Akoya pearl farms often sold them to Indian dealers, who were then able to take advantage of the relatively cheap labor market in India. The largest of the keshi were drilled and the rest were used in ornamental pieces.

Modern Definition of the Keshi Pearl

As with many definitions, the modern-day definition of a keshi pearl has been altered and encompasses a vast array of pearl shapes, sizes and colors and is generally only limited by the qualification that the end-product pearl is non-nucleated. However, it would be a mistake to refer to the overwhelming majority of keshi pearls in today’s market as “natural.” While the modern keshi pearl is non-nucleated, it is very much a product of human intervention in mollusks. In fact, the Chinese (and others) have refined multiple techniques to exclusively create various desirable sizes and shapes of “keshi” pearls in freshwater mollusks.

Chinese Dominate Supply of Keshi Pearls

The modern keshi pearl started as mishaps during cultivation when the mantle tissue separates from the nucleus. The nucleus is expelled, but the mantle tissue remains and the nacre grows into a keshi pearl. Other times, part of the implanted mantle tissue separates and a keshi pearl is formed alongside the nucleated pearl in a separate pearl sac. Once the keshi pearls became sought after, pearl farms began deliberately inserting only mantle tissue with no nucleus and producing only keshi pearls. The Chinese, who have become the dominant world supplier of cultured pearls, discovered that if the cultured/nucleated pearl is carefully removed during harvest, the undamaged pearl sac will produce a keshi pearl for a second harvest. This is very desirable to the pearl farms, since many species of mollusks will only produce one harvest of nucleated pearls.

The Value of the Keshi Pearl in Modern Designer Jewelry

Because they have no nucleus and can be produced in many types of mollusks, keshi pearls vary widely in size, shape and color. Since keshi pearls are all nacre, they are incredibly lustrous and shiny; in fact, most keshi pearls have greater luster than even the highest quality cultured pearls. The striking color ranges, the magnificent natural shapes, and the unbelievable sheen and luster makes the “keshi” pearl an especially beautiful gem to be used in handmade designer jewelry. At Land and Sea Jewelry, the keshi pearl in all its forms is our most favorite pearl to work with in designing custom handcrafted, handmade designer jewelry.

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Jeweled Fusion

We cordially invite you to Experience Jeweled Fusion of Land and Sea where we combine shimmering precious and semi-precious gemstones with lustrous pearls and keshi pearls to create exquisit handmade designer jewelry.