Pearls are formed inside living shells of oysters, a widely occurring mollusk. Pearls are formed from the same material as the shell itself (calcium c

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Pearls are formed inside living shells of oysters, a widely occurring mollusk. Pearls are formed from the same material as the shell itself (calcium carbonate) but their formation is rare, certainly in wild, natural pearls. Most commercially sold pearls are cultivated in freshwater oyster farms.

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Photo credit: © DIRK WIERSMA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: -, calcium-carbonate, cultivation, farm, farmed, freshwater, mollusk, natural, oyster, pearl, shell