Lagoon Island Pearls
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2009
- Messages
- 2,071
View attachment 12708
Here's a picture supporting Doug's position on parasites.
Again, these are what I loosely refer to as "double pearls". First formed as singles, then concreted together.
Definitely a treat to find 30 pearls in one mussel.
In case you haven't seen it...
...and it looks quite tasty!!!
what really was amazing of the pearl is that it had 3 phases: calcitic, aragonitic and proteinic, and in the calcitic area it had aragonitic "inclusions" (looked a bit like embedded opals). It is the weirdest pearl -natural or cultured- I have ever seen.
View attachment 12708
Here's a picture supporting Doug's position on parasites.
Again, these are what I loosely refer to as "double pearls". First formed as singles, then concreted together.
Definitely a treat to find 30 pearls in one mussel.
3 phases: calcitic, aragonitic and proteinic, and in the calcitic area it had aragonitic "inclusions" (looked a bit like embedded opals). It is the weirdest pearl -natural or cultured- I have ever seen. If Valeria sees this post maybe she can help us by sending the pearl's specs. It may help scientists understand some of the mysteries of biomineralization...
I don't consider myself to be the last word or anything close. But, being Biologists we have always wondered at Life's amazing strategies, patterns, shapes, etc. Life is simply MAGNIFICENT. But we are also Engineers and we wonder and tinker: how does the animal do that? Can we fool it? Can we make it do our will?
labs that study biomineralization use polysaccharides in the process.