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

In both types the pearly appearance is obtained by lining the interior, or coating the exterior, with more or less numerous layers of what is known as "nacre" or some times as "essence d'oriente."

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