Mother-of-pearl In Highest Resolution

Mother-of-pearl, also known as nacre, is not just an iridescent substance whose optical characteristics impress the observer and which is often used for jewellery. It is also an excellent material for working with. Nacre consists of 97 percent lime, but has a thousand times higher breaking strength. The reason has to do with the layer composition of mother-of-pearl. Now, Max Planck and BAM scientists have discovered that the surface of the lime platelets in mother-of-pearl is not at all ordered in layers, as had been previously assumed. Because of this fact, it can be ruled out that the crystals are controlled through ordered layers on the organic matrix. This understanding of nacre, and the mechanism by which it is built, is essential for emulating the same refined principle in building new materials.

For a long time, mother-of-pearl has been considered as an interesting biogenous material. During this time, researchers have been trying to understand its astounding characteristics. Its unusual breaking strength is due to a structure based on soft organic layers and hard lime platelets.

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