Pearls can be hidden inside a shell, which is a far more surprising setting than the underground one.
How did these jewels end up in such a strange location?
pearls are not the result of a speck of sand weaseling its way into the shell of a mollusk. Sand is usually found in the aquatic environments where mollusks live. pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a food particle or a parasites, slips between the shells of an oyster or other mollusk and lodges into its mantle. In an act of self-defense, the invertebrate releases a liquid containing a carbonate mineral and conchiolin, and as it mixes with the invaders, it creates a material called mother-of-pearl. These layers turn into a pearl over time.
Which is more rare, gold or diamonds?
RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU...
No two pearls are the same, even in the case of cultured freshwater pearls. These commercially farmed gemstones are the result of human intervention, in which a farmer implants a small bead of shell into the interior of a mussel to start the nacre- secreting process. According to the Gemological Institute of America, the majority of pearls on the market are cultured.
Thousands of years ago, pearls were a coveted item in many cultures. According to the American Gem Society, Greek mythology claimed that pearls were tears of joy shed by the goddess Aphrodite, while Hindu folklore claimed that the moon would turn the sea into droplets of water.
Pearls were often strung into jewelry or offered as a form of trade regardless of where they came from. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, pearls became associated with nobility when Julius Caesar passed a law that only nobility could wear pearls in Rome.
Pearls are captivating due to their beauty and curious nature.
The original article was published on Live Science on Nov. 20, 2012
All Rights Reserved © 2024
