GEOL 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Cultured Pearl, Pearly Gates, Nacre
18 Oct 2016
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Assignments are due wednesday at midnight of the week following the study session. They"re pretty, unique in size, color and shape. Valuable because of their surface, have a warm, velvety feel around the neck unlike other gemstones. Nacre: calcium carbonate (caco3) - a mineral, avagoute: oyster secretes this to coat foreign bodies/irritant, found in the tissues of the muscles, plates of calcium carbonate, some microscopic in size, held together by organic material. Refract and reflect light to give it a lustrous appearance. Mother of pearl: colors of the rainbow because the separation of the plates are on the order of the wavelength of visible light. An all-natural pearl would start with a tiny irritant. Death by giant clam is a myth - their adductor muscles are too slow. Pure and white - referenced in the bible: pearly gates, precious. Bavarian pearls - large and grape shaped - crown. Royalty of france documented wearing the famous pearl - elizabeth taylor.
