Kokichi Mikimoto—the man whose name is synonymous with “cultured pearls”—failed at his first two attempts at producing blister pearls? In fact, it wasn’t until his third harvest that he succeeded in culturing them by abandoning such nuclei materials as abalone shell, coral, and bone in favor of using only mother-of-pearl beads. Why did it work? Mother-of-pearl beads consist of nacre, the pearl composite material.
This is just one fascinating story, among many, that you’ll discover while getting ready to pass your exam and receive your certification on PearlsAsOne.org, a Cultured Pearl Association of America (CPAA) Pearl Specialist Certification Course.
The information is organized into manageable sections that are not only comprehensive and educational, but also amusing to read. You won’t have to memorize any facts because they will simply stay with you as you move through the material. Numerous illustrations, photographs, and videos help to retain the knowledge.
If you ever want to refresh your memory about something, you can revisit the content as often as you like! Carolyn Hebert comments, “Thank you for allowing continued access to the course. There is so much information that I want to come back and go over it again and again. This is a wonderful course!”
As a bonus, you have the ability to engage in chats with fellow learners about the topic you’re studying. See others’ comments beneath each chapter, write your own, or pose questions that will be answered by course teachers.
— Barbara Parker
MJSA members: Click here to begin the course and earn your CPAA Certified Pearl Specialist certificate.
Not an MJSA member? Contact Betty Costa at 1-800-444-6572, ext. 3050, or betty.costa@mjsa.org to join and take advantage of this membership benefit.