Pearl Bead Strand

Pearl is a concretion formed by a mollusk and made up of the same material as the mollusk’s shell, principally the mineral aragonite. The shell may also contain small amounts of conchiolin, a substance that together with aragonite produces nacre, or mother-of-pearl. The finest pearls are those produced by mollusks whose shells are lined with mother-of-pearl, which are generally saltwater oysters and freshwater clams. The pearl is created when a foreign particle enters the mollusk and cells within the organism begin building up layers around the particle as a protective measure.