Nacre

Nacre is regarded as mother of pearl which is a macrobiotic inert composite found in the shells of sea animals in the sea bed. Nacre appears as an ashen crystalline material that is formed in the shells of oysters, mussels, snails, and other mollusks by the sedimentation of the secretion around a foreign object (like a tiny stone) that has accidentally sneaked into their shell and gradually forms into a pearl over a time of many years.

Nacre structural formation comprises hexagonal platelets of the substance aragonite that is scientifically named as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystals. They are 10-20 µm wide and 0.5 µm thick - an awfully diminutive dimension set in an uninterrupted analogous lamina.

The glistening facade of the nacre is contributed by the aragonite platelets embedded in it that are about 0.5 micrometers in thickness and is equivalent to the wavelength of visible light. The consequence is positive and negative meddling of different wavelengths of light that yields a view of diverse colors of light that is reflected at different positions.

The shimmering internal stratum of Nacre is considered vastly gorgeous and the main use of the material is in making attractive jewelery or as interiors of wooden furniture and guitars.

The main source of nacre is the oysters that generate pearls which are usually found in warm and sultry seas. The stone is found mainly in Asia from the pearl generating freshwater mussels that have their habitat in rivers of the United States, Europe, and Asia.