mother-of-pearl

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mother-of-pearl

mother-of-pearl or nacre , the iridescent substance that forms the lining of the shells of some fresh-water and some salt-water mollusks. Like the pearl it is a secretion of the mantle, composed of alternate layers of calcium carbonate and conchiolin. Among the chief sources are the pearl oyster, found in warm and tropical seas, chiefly in Asia; freshwater pearl mussels, which live in many rivers of the United States, Europe, and Asia; and the abalone of California, Japan, and other Pacific regions.

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mother-of-pearl

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Â© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

mother-of-pearl (nacre) Shiny substance lining many mollusc shells. It consists of a form of calcium carbonate, deposited in layers interspersed with organic material. Diffraction of light causes the lustre and iridescence of mother-of-pearl. It is used in making buttons and jewellery, and for decorative inlay.

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mother-of-pearl

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | © The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2009, originally published by Oxford University Press 2009. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

moth·er-of-pearl • n. a smooth shining iridescent substance forming the inner layer of the shell of some mollusks, esp. oysters and abalones, used in ornamentation.

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Asian splendor.(Current and coming)(exhibition of lacquer products at Mother-of-Pearl: A Tradition ) Magazine article from: The Magazine Antiques; 2/1/2007
	Mother of pearl bowl.(EBONY ESSENTIALS) Magazine article from: Ebony; 11/1/2006
	Melinda Haynes to Sign Copies of Mother of Pearl at Books-A-Million of Birmingham, Alabama. Business Wire; 8/2/1999

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