Pearl

ocean · gemstones · mollusk magic · nature's jewelry

Made by mollusks. Pearls form inside the soft bodies of oysters, mussels, and other shelled creatures. When a tiny irritant like sand gets inside, the mollusk coats it over and over with a special material called nacre (also called mother-of-pearl) to protect itself.

Layers of sparkle. Each pearl is built up in concentric layers, kind of like an onion, except it's made of calcium carbonate crystals that shimmer and glow. The more layers, the bigger and more beautiful the pearl becomes.

Perfect round ones. The most valuable pearls are perfectly round and smooth, but many pearls come out weird and bumpy shapes called baroque pearls. Both kinds are beautiful, but round ones have always been considered extra special.

Treasure for centuries. People have treasured pearls as precious gemstones and jewelry for thousands of years. Because they're rare and lovely, pearls became a symbol of anything that's valuable, rare, and admirable.

Natural vs. farmed. Natural pearls form by accident when an irritant gets inside a wild mollusk. Today, people farm pearls by carefully placing irritants inside oysters on purpose, and most pearls sold in stores are farmed rather than found naturally.