Pearls form when oysters coat irritants with nacre over years. Learn how natural and cultured pearls are created and why oysters matter.

Viruses are hurting Japan's pearl oysters. Now scientists are working to figure out how to make the oysters more resilient. By Laura Baisas Published Nov 10, 2022 10:00 AM EST Get the Popular Science ...

A pearl does not begin as something precious. It begins as a problem. Inside an oyster, a tiny particle slips in and settles where it does not belong. It might be a parasite, a rough fragment, or ...