The stacked arrangement of nacre makes it incredibly strong, because cracks cannot travel in a straight line through the material. Nacre is made of calcium carbonate mortared together with organic ...

Most people know mother-of-pearl, an iridescent biomineral also called nacre, from buttons, jewelry, instrument inlays and other decorative flourishes. Scientists, too, have admired and marveled at ...

A new material inspired by the shiny lining of oyster shells could create a crack-resistant coating one day. The researchers who created the artificial mother-of-pearl say it is environmentally ...

In the summer, many people enjoy walks along the beach looking for seashells. Among the most prized are those that contain iridescent mother of pearl (also known as nacre) inside. But many ...

Mother-of-pearl has found many uses over the centuries, in everything from buttons and jewellery, to Indigenous cultural ceremonies in Western Australia's Kimberley region. A world-first collaboration ...

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