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Pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as a conulariid. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate (mainly aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite) in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes, known as baroque pearl can occur. The finest quality of natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries. Because of this, pearl has become a metaphor for something rare, fine, admirable and valuable.
The most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild, but are extremely rare. These wild pearls are referred to as natural pearls. Cultured or farmed pearls from pearl oysters and freshwater mussels make up the majority of those currently sold. Imitation pearls are also widely sold in inexpensive jewelry, but the quality of their iridescence is usually very poor and is easily distinguished from that of genuine pearls. Pearls have been harvested and cultivated primarily for use in jewelry, but in the past were also used to adorn clothing. They have also been crushed and used in cosmetics, medicines and paint formulations.
Whether wild or cultured, gem-quality pearls are almost always nacreous and iridescent, like the interior of the shell that produces them. However, almost all species of shelled mollusks are capable of producing pearls (technically “calcareous concretions”) of lesser shine or less spherical shape. Although these may also be legitimately referred to as “pearls” by gemological labs and also under U.S. Federal Trade Commission rules, and are formed in the same way, most of them have no value except as curiosities.
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Pearl (noun)
A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of-pearl. Round lustrous pearls are used in jewellery.
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Pearl (noun)
Something precious.
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Pearl (noun)
A capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing liquid for e.g. medicinal application.
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Pearl (noun)
Nacre, or mother-of-pearl.
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Pearl (noun)
A whitish speck or film on the eye.
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Pearl (noun)
A fish allied to the turbot; the brill.
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Pearl (noun)
A light-colored tern.
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Pearl (noun)
One of the circle of tubercles which form the bur on a deer’s antler.
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Pearl (noun)
The size of type between diamond and agate, standardized as 5-point.
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Pearl (noun)
A fringe or border.
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Pearl (noun)
A jewel or gem.
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Pearl (noun)
The clitoris.
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Pearl (verb)
To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl.
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Pearl (verb)
To cause to resemble pearls in shape; to make into small round grains.
“to pearl barley”
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Pearl (verb)
To cause to resemble pearls in lustre or iridescence.
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Pearl (verb)
To resemble pearl or pearls.
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Pearl (verb)
To hunt for pearls
“to go pearling”
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Pearl (verb)
to dig the nose of one’s surfboard into the water, often on takeoff.
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Mother Of Pearl (noun)
The hard pearly inner layer of certain mollusk shells; nacre.
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Mother Of Pearl (noun)
A butterfly of the genus Salamis.
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Mother Of Pearl (adjective)
Made from or looking like mother-of-pearl; iridescent or pearly.
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Pearl (noun)
a hard, lustrous spherical mass, typically white or bluish-grey, formed within the shell of a pearl oyster or other bivalve mollusc and highly prized as a gem
“a linen garment decorated with pearls”
“a pair of pearl earrings”
“necklaces of amethyst and pearl”
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Pearl (noun)
an artificial imitation of a pearl.
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Pearl (noun)
a necklace of pearls
“tweeds look traditional teamed with twinset and pearls”
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Pearl (noun)
something resembling a pearl
“the sweat stood in pearls along his forehead”
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Pearl (noun)
short for mother-of-pearl
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Pearl (noun)
a very pale bluish grey or white colour like that of a pearl
“her dress was a lovely pearl grey”
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Pearl (noun)
a person or thing of great worth
“he has some pearls of wisdom to offer”
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Pearl (noun)
another term for picot
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Pearl (verb)
form drops resembling pearls
“raindrops pearled on water-soaked windowpanes”
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Pearl (verb)
make bluish-grey
“sunset pearling the sky above the hills”
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Pearl (verb)
dive or fish for pearl oysters
“the pearling industry”