Shell Help?

[paul monfils]

This is the gold-lip pearl oyster, one of the species in which valuable pearls are produced. It is from the tropical Indo-Pacific region.  Its scientific name is Pinctada maxima. When a mollusc produces a pearl, the outer surface of the pearl has the same texture and luster as the inside of the shell. Some shells with dull white interiors produce dull white pearls that are not worth anything. But in this species the pearls are extremely smooth and lustrous, because the inside of the shell is, and that's what makes them valuable.  The outside of the shell in this species is usually black and rather scaly, but the outer surface of this specimen has been ground away and polished to produce a decorative item.  The gloss on the interior however is natural.  This species is a bivalve, so what you actually have here is a half shell.  Originally there was another similar mirror-image valve that fit against this one to make a complete shell.  <span class="petit">--Last edited by Paul Monfils on 2009-05-12 19:14:57 --</span>