Palau – 2007 – 5 Dollars – Pearl Oyster Pnctada Maxima (PROOF)

Description

Metal: Silver .925

Weight: 25 gr.

Diameter: 38.61 mm

Quality: Proof

Mintage: 2500 pcs


Pearls have always represented wealth and beauty. A pearl fascinates human beings. As natural growing pearls are scarce only the rich and privileged possessed them at the beginning of the 20th century. Not until 1921 the breeding of pearls succeeded.

A pearl originates through the shells defence reaction. As soon as organic material slips into the animal a part of the mantel tissue (epithel cells) reaches the interior of the shell. In this case the nacre, which is also known as mother-of-pearl, breeding can be activated which then covers the organic material with layers over and over again. These nacre layers kill off the organic material and in doing so protect the shell. The outcome is a natural pearl.

This was the opinion in the past on how a pearl develops. There are new studies which show a somewhat other evidence. These studies show that the Pinctada makes the pearl formation possible due to a genetic conditional rank growth.

Whatever the reason may be, the pearl does not lose its fascination!