Perles de Manacor (Manacor pearls) — Traditional craft of Mallorca

What it is and technique

Artificial pearl: core (glass or other material) covered with layers of a pearly essence, polished between layers. Majorica patented an "organic pearl" in 1952.

Short story

The Heusch brothers (Aachen) founded an artificial pearl company in Paris in 1890; They went to Barcelona and, around 1901-1902, to Palma and Manacor (dates differ between sources). IEPISA (1915) Majorica Heusch (1968). It became a great employer of women in Manacor. There were other pearl shops in the city.

Chronology:

1890: the Heusch brothers founded an artificial pearl company in Paris.

-c . 1901-1902: They settle in Mallorca (Palma and Manacor; dates differ).

1915: IEPISA.
1952: patent for the "organic pearl".
1968: Majorica Heusch.
2020: bankruptcy (about 280 employees, 100 in Manacor).
2021: purchase by Majolaperla.
2026: repositioning as a luxury brand and new stores.

Where and who today

Majorica (Manacor): bankruptcy in 2020 (about 280 employees, 100 in Manacor); purchased by Majolaperla (2021). In 2026 it is repositioned as a luxury brand and opens stores. majorica

State

Industry alive but transformed; It is more brand than artisan craft. Fit in the criteria: real roots (a century in Manacor), but material and technique are not native. That's why focus: context.

Process step by step

Imitation pearl (summary):

1. Core: glass sphere or other material, calibrated.

2. Successive baths in pearly essence (historically, based on fish scales; today our own formula).

3. Drying and polishing between coats.

4. Quality control: gloss, color, roundness.

5. Assembly: threading with a knot between pearls, silver or gold clasps.

Forms and objects

Single or multi-strand necklaces.
Earrings and rings.
Brooches.
Shapes: round, baroque, “teardrop” (please check current catalogue).

Vocabulary

perla d'imitació / perla artificial: manufactured pearl.
perlera: pearl factory and, by extension, worker.
nucli: core.
essència: pearlescent paste.
enfilar: thread.
tancador: closure.

Geography

Manacor: main factory and great female employment during the 20th century.
There were other pearl shops in the city.
Neither material nor technique are indigenous: the root is industrial and social.

Xifres

More than 120 years of production in Manacor.
280 employees in 2020 (100 in Manacor).
Key dates: 1890, 1902, 1915, 1952, 1968, 2020, 2021, 2026.

Why is it design

Industrial design that imitates nature on a scale.
Territorial brand: "Majorica" turns the name of the island into a product.
Question for the atlas: heritage of work (women) more than of the object.

For the project

Possible piece: oral memory of the women of the pearl factories of Manacor for the atlas (industrial design and female work).
Contact: authors of the Industrial History study (UB); Manacor Museum (to verify if it has a fund).
Background question: can an imitation be heritage?

Frequently asked questions

What is Perles de Manacor (Manacor pearls)?

Artificial pearl: core (glass or other material) covered with layers of a pearly essence, polished between layers. Majorica patented an "organic pearl" in…

What are the traditional words for Perles de Manacor (Manacor pearls)?

Some words: enfilar, essència, nucli, perla d'imitació / perla artificial, perlera, tancador.

Sources

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

Open it in the atlas →