(MOP0007)
Mother of Pearl, triangular shape.
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MOP0001
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MOP0002
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MOP0003
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MOP0004
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MOP0005
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MOP0006
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MOP0007
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MOP0008
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MOP0009
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MOP0010
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MOP0011
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MOP0012
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Concretion
formed by a mollusk consisting of the same material (called nacre, or mother-of-pearl)
as the mollusk's shell. It is a highly valued gemstone. Pearls are characterized
by their translucence and lustre and by a delicate play of surface colour called
orient. The more perfect its shape (spherical or droplike) and the deeper its
lustre, the greater its value. Only those pearls produced by mollusks whose
shells are lined with mother-of-pearl (e.g., certain species of both saltwater
oysters and freshwater clams) are really fine pearls; pearls from other mollusks
are reddish or whitish, porcellaneous, or lacking in pearly lustre. Jewelers
commonly refer to saltwater pearls as Oriental pearls and to those produced
by freshwater mollusks as freshwater pearls.