nacre

Example Sentences

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However, the exact processes and conditions that lead to nacre, a composite of biopolymers and platelets of crystalline calcium carbonate, are the subject of intense debate among experts, and different theories exist.

From Science Daily • Jan. 12, 2024

Dull on the outside, its nacre gleams pearlescent within.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2021

Some bivalves like oysters and mussels have the unique ability to secrete and deposit a calcareous nacre or “mother of pearl” around foreign particles that enter the mantle cavity.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

The oyster reacts to the introduction of the foreign body by coating it with layers of nacre - crystallized calcium carbonate and an organic protein.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2012

While the cheaper grades of indestructible pearls have but three or four layers of nacre, some of the fine ones have as many as thirty or more.

From A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public by Wade, Frank Bertram