Pearls are back in fashion, which means aficionados are finding new and interesting ways to wear pearls of the ocean. Of course, many people would probably argue that pearls have always been ... Whether wild or cultured, gem-quality pearls are almost always nacreous and iridescent, like the interior of the shell that produces them.

Understanding the Context

However, almost all species of shelled mollusks are capable of producing pearls (technically "calcareous concretions") of lesser shine or less spherical shape.