Because abalone pearls are admired for their rarity, attractive colors, and striking iridescence, efforts have been made to culture them for more than a century. Only recently has commercial production of cultured abalone blister pearls been achieved. A feature article in this issue examines the history, production, marketing, and identifying characteristics of assembled cultured blister pearls from one major producer, Empress Abalone Ltd., using New Zealand's Haliotis iris. These abalone "mabés" are being incorporated into distinctive jewelry designs, together with colored stones and diamonds. The gold pendants and rings shown here contain abalone "mabés" ranging from 12.5 to 17.3 mm in diameter. Jewelry courtesy of designer Ian Henderson, Dunedin, New Zealand. Photo © Harold & Erica Van Pelt—Photographers, Los Angeles, California.