“Pearls, the most flawless and highly prized of them, are perhaps the most perfectly spherical macroscopic bodies in the biological world. How are they so round?” So begin Julyan Cartwright at the ...

Oysters are the main producers of pearls, but clams and mussels can also create them. Pearls form when oysters secrete layers of nacre around irritants. There are natural and cultured pearls, with ...

A pearl does not begin as something precious. It begins as a problem. Inside an oyster, a tiny particle slips in and settles ...

Mollusks maintain the symmetry of their pearls by adjusting the thickness of each layer of shimmering nacre. If one layer of the pearl’s nacre is thinner, the next layer is thicker and will balance ...

Feb. 12 -- Lately, pearl jewelry is becoming a hot fashion accessory, with pearl-sporting stars like actress Sarah Jessica Parker contributing to the sizzle. But if you buy a string of cultured pearls ...

Pearls are the perfect example of modern jewelry reinvention. They’ve been a feminine go-to for centuries, and the traditional, mid-20th century “Jackie O” pearl strand is trending again — but now ...

Viruses are hurting Japan's pearl oysters. Now scientists are working to figure out how to make the oysters more resilient. By Laura Baisas Published Nov 10, 2022 10:00 AM EST Get the Popular Science ...

Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the University of Southampton, and specializes in animal behavior, evolution, palaeontology, and the environment. Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the ...