The English word pearl comes from the French perle, originally from the Latin perna 'leg', after the ham- or mutton leg-shaped See more

The unique luster of pearls depends upon the reflection, refraction, and diffraction of light from the translucent layers. The thinner and more numerous the layers in the pearl, the finer … See more

The mollusk's mantle (protective membrane) deposits layers of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of the mineral See more

Pearl hunting
The ancient chronicle Mahavamsa mentions the thriving pearl industry in the port of Oruwella in the Gulf of Mannar in Sri Lanka. … See more

All shelled mollusks can, by natural processes, produce some kind of "pearl" when an irritating microscopic object becomes trapped within its mantle folds, but the great majority … See more

Freshwater and saltwater pearls may sometimes look quite similar, but they come from different sources.
Freshwater pearls form in various species of freshwater … See more

Biologically speaking, under the right set of circumstances, almost any shelled mollusk can produce some kind of pearl. However, most of these … See more