Shell Beads

Mother of Pearl Shell Beads

Mother of Pearl shell beads are made from the inner shell layer of pearl oyster or fresh water pearl mussel shells. This part of the shell surrounding the pearl is made of nacre which is more commonly known as Mother of Pearl. The Nacre, which is what pearls are composed of, is iridescent, stronger and more resilient than the porous shell.

The natural color of Mother of Pearl is an iridescent off white color and beads are dyed in many vibrant colors. Some shells are treated with a special luster finish which makes the beads shimmer with gold, silver or rainbow colors.

Mother of Pearl shell beads come in many shapes and sizes for example free form, nuggets, cube, flat rounds, flat squares and many other interesting beading shapes.

We stock all manufacturer overstocks and sell to you at prices which are almost always lower than wholesale bead prices. Shell beads are popular and are snapped up as quickly as we list them. If you see something you like, buy enough for your whole beading project because it might be sold out when you come back.