Characteristics of Mother-of-pearl:

Chemical Name: Calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, amorphous silica

Formula: CaCO3, Ca3(PO4)2, SiO2

Colors: All

Structure: Amorphous

Hardness: 3.5

Specific Gravity: 2.7-2.89

Refractive Index: 1.530-1.685

Lustre: Greasy to pearly

Locations: Worldwide

What is Mother-of-pearl? 

Mother-of-pearl is the name given to nacre, the substance that lines the interior of some molluscs, but chiefly pearl oysters and freshwater pearl mussel shells. It is also the material from which pearls are formed. Prized for tis iridescence, nacre is used decoratively in jewelry, clothing, architecture, and are. It is also of great interest to scientists due to its overlapping brick-like structure at a microscopic level, which allows impacts to be absorbed by dispersing them over a side area – a property that could be applied to eh creation of resilient material.