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Natural pearls
Contrary to popular belief, a natural pearls is not formed by a grain of sand. This story is an urban legend.
A natural pearl forms inside a bivalve mollusk when the shell has been invaded by a parasite or damaged. The most common reason a natural pearl will develop is due to parasitic invasion.
The parasite wil burrow through the periostracum layer (outer layer) of a mollusk shell and into the mother-of-pearl beneath. When the parasite penetrates the mother of pearl in comes in contact with the mollusk's mantle muscle. This muscle contains cells known as epithelial cells. These cells produce a substance called nacre which coats the inside of the shell (mother-of-pearl) and is the substance of which a pearl is composed.
The parasite becomes lodged in this mantle muscle and dies. The mollusk's definsive reaction is to grow a sac around the intruder. This sac is called the pearl sac. Once the sac encases the intruder the cells begin to deposit nacre- which is composed of aragonite and calcite (a calcium carbonate compound) platelets.
Cultured Pearls
Cultured (marine) pearls are grown by inserting a rounded bead of mother-of-pearl and a piece of mantle tissue containing epithelial cells from a donor mollusk into the gonad, or reproductive organ, of a host mollusk. The donor tissue grows into a pearl sac around the bead. As in natural pearl production, this sac then deposits nacre.
Read more: How_is_a_pearl_formed
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoPearls are formed inside the shell of certain mollusks as a defense mechanism against a potentially threatening irritant such as a parasite inside the shell, or an attack from outside that injures the mantle tissue. The mollusk creates a pearl sacto seal off the irritation. Pearls are found in many different parts of the world and are formed in clams, oysters and mussels. They come in shades of white; sometimes with a creamy or pinkish tinge, but may be tinted with yellow, green, blue, brown or black. Source: Wikipedia.
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Are pearls nonrenewable or renewable?
Pearls are constantly being formed. They would be a renewable resource as they can be grown.
How many different kinds of pearls are there?
Natural pearls come in many shapes, however perfectly round ones are very rare. They are made up of calcium carbonate and conchiolin and are formed when a microscopic intruder or parasite enters a mollusk and settles inside the shell. The mollusk is irritated by the intruder and secrets the conchiolin/calcium carbonate repeatedly until a pearl is formed. Cultured pearls are formed when a tiny of mantle tissue from a donar shell is transplanted into a recipient shell, which causes a pearl sac to form. Such pearls can be produced using freshwater or seawater shells. They also go by the following names: Akoya, white or golden South sea, and black Tahitian. Imitation pearls, however, man made with glass and coated with a solution. They may look like pearls but do not have the same smoothness or luster as real pearls
What is the name of the lining of an oyster shell called?
I believe it is is called nacre. I read that nacre is what pearls are formed from.
Are Stauer pearls real pearls?
No. Stauer pearls are fake pearls.
What is inside an oyster?
You can get them from net fishing or rock crabs north and north-east of relleka. Some will give you pearls which are worth about 1k unless the price of pearls was affected by the recent market crash.
Why do pearls make people cry?
Pearls are formed inside oysters as a defense mechanism to protect themselves from foreign irritants. The idea that pearls make people cry may stem from the emotional reactions they evoke due to their beauty, rarity, and historical significance. It's more about the emotional impact of receiving or wearing pearls than any chemical properties causing tears.
Types of pearl?
There are five different types of pearls, including natural pearls, cultured pearls, saltwater pearls, freshwater pearls, and imitation pearls.
Are fresh water pearls better than cultured?
This is a common question and often consumers are misguided because Freshwater pearls are cultured pearls. Pearls either fall in the natural category or the cultured category. 99% of pearls today are cultured, meaning the mollusk natural pearl making process has been guided along by man. Cultured pearls consist of Freshwater, Akoya, Tahitian, and South Sea pearls among others. When shopping in a jewelry store or any retail environment (with the exception of estate jewelers), the pearls are going to be cultured.
What is a group of pearls?
A group of pearls is titled a "string of pearls".
What is group of pearls?
A group of pearls is titled a "string of pearls".
Are pearls sedimentary igneous or metamorphic?
Pearls are formed within the soft tissue of mollusks, and start as a grain of sand. The mollusk concretes thin layers of calcium carbonate over the grain of sand. Therefore, a pearl would be considered sedimentary.
How are pearls caught?
Pearls are formed in certain species of clams/oysters. Clams/oysters pretty much stay put, so it's not like you have to chase them much. What you do is that you harvest the oysters, cut them open and hope to find a pearl inside.
