Stone mother-of-pearl and its properties

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Mother of pearl - a wonderful stone, surprisingly combines the opposite properties: beauty, tenderness, fragility and at the same time incredible strength and strength. Due to its qualities and properties, mother of pearl is not only an elegant decoration, but also an indispensable medicine for more than one century in a row.

Contents:
  • history stone
  • mineral Description
  • Varieties nacre
  • chemical composition and physical properties of the stone
  • deposits nacre
  • Medicinal properties of mineral
  • magical properties of nacre
  • Nacre and zodiac
  • Application Gem
  • Interesting facts about
  • stone How to distinguish between a natural pearl from a fake
  • Caring for stone
  • Photos of stone from mother of pearl and its products

Stone history

It is known that mother of pearl is actively usedHas been born by people since ancient times. So, in Iraq, archaeologists have found a mother of pearl necklace age 7000 years.


Ancient Roman masters were famous for painting on mother-of-pearl. Until now, dozens of mother-of-pearl jewelry and various household items of those times have been preserved.

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A little later, in the Middle Ages, mother of pearl was used not only for decoration, but also in medicine.

It is interesting that even today, centuries later, tablets, creams and cosmetics with the addition of mother-of-pearl are actively produced. Due to its composition, it is one of the effective means for strengthening bones.


But the period of the greatest popularity of mother-of-pearl was in the era of the Enlightenment. It was then that pearly products amazed with their refinement and scale. One of the main connoisseurs of mother-of-pearl was Catherine the Great. Her mother-of-pearl collection numbered hundreds of items. Table clocks, cups and snuff-boxes belonging to the Empress and decorated with carved angels, cupids and ornate intricate patterns - all this is still on display at the Hermitage.

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Description of mineral

Mother of pearl is an inner layer of pearl shells, it's no wonder that its name from German "Perl Mutter" translates as "mother of pearls".Virtually any shell, get there a grain of sand or some kind of inclusion, will give the world precious pearls.

And although mother of pearl is not a gem, its beauty is not inferior even to the rarest and precious stones.

Its distinctive feature is a unique palette of shades. So, besides the usual white with pink, blue and exquisite golden-lilac inclusions, there is also a pink mother of pearl with a unique greenish-yellow original tint and black with a bright violet-blue reflection.

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Nacre varieties

Since mother of pearl can not be considered a gem, depending on where the pearls are mined - in marine or freshwater water, its species can be divided into two categories.

As a rule, mother-of-pearl shells of sea shellfish are much appreciated, because they have an impressive variety of colors, shapes and sizes. The most valuable and expensive are the shells of Haliotis. They have a bright color on the outside, and a thick layer of mother-of-pearl plays with all the colors of the rainbow. The average size of such a shell is 10-20 cm.

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Chemical composition and physical properties of stone

Mother-of-pearl is of organic origin. It is the main component of the inner coating of the surface of the shell of the mollusk. Like pearls, from a chemical point of view, mother of pearl is calcium carbonate.


Its chemical formula is CaCO3.

Composition:

  • calcite or aragonite - 85%;
  • organic substances of conchiolin - 12%;
  • water - 3%.

Iridescent mother-of-pearl shine in mother-of-pearl provides its unique structure: aragonite plates are arranged in parallel, due to which the sunlight is refracted in different ways, therefore its coloration has different color shades.

The color of this natural stone varies: from white, tender to dairy to black. In addition to these color tones, greenish, pinkish, golden and gray shades of mother-of-pearl are sometimes found.

And although the stone is quite dense, its hardness is rather low - it varies within 2.5-4.5 units on the Mohs scale, and the density reaches 2.7 g / cm3.

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Mother-of-pearl deposits

Because of the peculiarities of the formation, as a rule, mother-of-pearl is produced along with pearls. The main deposits of mother-of-pearl are the Red Sea, Borneo and Sri Lanka, Mexico, Japan, the waters of the Persian Gulf, the eastern coast of Canada and the USA.Although freshwater mollusks are less common, Asia and Europe remain the main regions of pearls production.

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The healing properties of the mineral

The healing properties of nacre have been known for more than one century. Even in the XVII century, doctors Popp and Agricola invented a unique medicine based on mother of pearl, which not only strengthened the heart, but also helped with fainting and general fatigue.

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To date, mother of pearl is also actively used in medicine. It is believed that drugs with the addition of mother-of-pearl:

  • improve overall performance;
  • strengthens the immune system;
  • increases vitality;
  • is charged with power;
  • promotes hearing improvement;
  • helps cure throat and larynx diseases;
  • helps cure bronchitis and pneumonia.

At the same time, a powder of white mother-of-pearl, which is often used in various cosmetics, helps:

  • whiten skin;
  • get rid of age spots;
  • make the freckles more invisible.
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Magic properties of the mother of pearl

In the magical plan, mother of pearl is a very light and strong stone.

  • It is believed that this natural stone develops intuition and even prolongs life.
  • Mother of pearl is a reliable protector against any negative dangerous energy effects.
  • He is able to help avoid the evil eye and reveal the liar.

Long since mother-of-pearl was the mascot of all travelers. As a rule, buttons and cufflinks were made from it. It was believed that the traveler who put them on the road was waiting for an easy and safe journey.

Modern esotericists recommend it as a talisman for children, arguing that mother of pearl not only effectively protects from various diseases, but also enhances the mood.

Mother-of-pearl is called the patron of the family. It is believed that due to its magical properties, it helps:

  • to strengthen marriage ties,
  • to realize and correct mistakes,
  • to come to a full mutual understanding.
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Mother of pearl not only creates a sense of harmony and peace in the house, but also supports the material well-being of the family.

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Mother of pearl and zodiac signs

The greatest benefit, according to astrologers, mother of pearl will bring Pisces and Aquarius. With his help, they can win any bet or dispute.

Also stone will help these signs of the zodiac to achieve great success at work, in creative endeavor and work activity. Pisces natural mother of pearl will give confidence and sharpness of mind.

As for the Gemini, their astrologers warn that a stone can lead to a nervous breakdown or to enter a state of deep apathy.

Devas also should not overdo with mother-of-pearl ornaments, becausethe stone can make them slightly arrogant and sarcastic.

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Application of the gem

The mother of pearl has long been a material for the manufacture and inlay of decorative, jewelry and various household items.

In Japan, Korea, China and Vietnam mother of pearl is one of the most respected places today. From it they make all kinds of boxes and combs, they are encrusted with screens, fans and panels. From high-quality mother-of-pearl make buttons, inserts on the surface of the base for painting, it is used as a material for making keys and inserts in electric guitars.

Mother of pearl is also used to preserve beauty and health. Since the XII century, mother of pearl serves as a healing base for various cosmetic and medical products. It produces tablets, creams and various decorative cosmetics.

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Interesting facts about the stone

  • At the beginning of the 20th century in the Mississippi basin( USA), the volume of extraction of shells for extraction of mother-of-pearl reached 35,000 tons per year. This period in history was called a "pearl fever".After this incident, most pearl-bearing mollusks were listed in the Red Book.
  • To date, the unique properties of mother of pearl are used even by the military. After numerous studies it turned out that mollusk shells are one of the most durable materials on the planet. Mother-of-pearl is planned to be used in military equipment, as well as to manufacture armor and even bulletproof vests from it.
  • In addition to the needs of the army, a unique material in the future is planned to be used for the manufacture of car parts, artificial bone tissue and components of electronic devices.
  • Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute( USA) received a grant of $ 50 million to develop a military form of the future based on material from mother-of-pearl. The study of this wonderful material marked the beginning of serious achievements in the field of nanotechnology.
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How to distinguish natural mother of pearl from forgery

Mother of pearl forge quite often, but it is quite easy to distinguish natural stone from forgery.

  1. Try to pierce the stone with a sharp object. On plastic there will be an obvious trace, while solid mother-of-pearl remains intact.
  2. Identify the authenticity of the stone will help a normal magnifying glass. And although natural mother of pearl is at first glance perfectly smooth, under the magnifying glass will be visible characteristic grooves on the entire surface, while the fake will remain perfectly smooth even under a large increase.
  3. And the last way: pay special attention to its thickness. It is known that a layer of nacre more than 5 mm is a rarity. If the thickness exceeds this figure, most likely, you have a fake.
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Stone care

  • The natural stone is fragile enough, therefore it is best to store pearl jewelry separately and preferably in a soft case.
  • Mother of pearl does not tolerate strong blows, and as well as any precious stone, mother of pearl does not like sharp temperature changes and long exposure to direct sunlight.
  • Clean mother of pearl is best with a warm soap solution and a soft brush. If the contamination is deeper, potato starch should be used. At the same time, it is strictly forbidden to use any chemical agents to clean mother-of-pearl.
  • Keep mother-of-pearl from direct contact with acids and cosmetics.
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Photos of stone from mother of pearl and its products

  • May 25, 2018
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