The American Museum of Natural History in New York, in conjunction with their major exhibit on pearls, now has a graet website on the subject at http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/pearls/

Aquafarmer Information Sheet: Producing Pearls Using the Black-lip Pearl Oyster (Pinctada margaritifera) by Simon Ellis

Black Pearls: A teaching activity from Newton's Apple about how pearls are formed and what makes them valuable.

Conch Pearls: Conch "pearls": because they lack nacre, these are not considered real pearls. They are often orange or pink in color. They form as concretions in conch shells.

• Vogue Gioiello.net: Gasteropod mollusks:
  • Strombidae family: The Strombus gigas is the most famous producer of conch pearls
    
  • Haliotidae family: They live in tropical seas and produce green, grey, blue and purple pearls
    
  • Turbinidae family: Produces rare greenish-yellow pearls
    

  • Volitidae family: The Melo Melo generates pearls similar to the Strombus conch Creation

• Pearl of KOBIE: Abolone and conch pearls

• Three reasons not to buy a "conch pearl": by Alexander Bizzbee
  

• What kinds of pearls are there? Martin Wolfe KG: great pictures of the various pearls!

Educational Pearls Links Pages

Famous Pearls: P. Mikkelson

Kentucky: On July 15, 1986, Kentucky adopted the freshwater pearl and the brachiopod as its official state gemstone and fossil. Here’s a copy of the portion of the bill relating to the pearl:

Learn About Pearls : Tutorial:" Learning about pearls will help you make a choice you can enjoy for a lifetime and will help you appreciate the unique qualities of the pearls you use."

The Legendary Black Pearl: "For centuries, Tahiti and Her Islands have been man's mythical paradise. Today, one of nature's most magnificent creations is born in the turquoise-colored lagoons of many of these islands and atolls. That creation is the Tahitian black pearl, a jewel of the sea, the living symbol of the purity and perfection found in a paradise. "

Melo melo Orange Pearls: by Pearl Guide.com

Mysterious Pearls: a story of some giant Vietnamese pearls from Smithsonian Magazine.

NOVA: Welcome to the companion Web site to "The Perfect Pearl," scheduled for rebroadcast on December 18, 2001. In the NOVA program we travel to exotic locations around the world where pearls are grown and harvested.

• The perfect Pearl: NOTE: There is a teacher's companion guide available for this movie
  
  

Pearl Guide.com: "Pearls have been prized for their beauty and rarity for thousands of years. From ancient China, India, and Egypt, to Imperial Rome, to the Arab world, to Native American tribes, cultures from around the world and throughout recorded history have valued these unique, biologically based gemstones... "

Pearl Oyster Biology: Something to Learn.

Pearl Paradise.com: You can find a lot of pearl history and other information on pearls on this site

Pearling and Aquaculture in Australia: Everything on pearling including a great history on pearling and a section on the perfect pearl.

Pearls: A Natural History

Pearls: the queen of gems : "Since 1961, the American Pearl Company has specialized in natural pearls and imported cultured pearls from around the world. In the late 1960s, they opened an experimental pearl farming operation. ..."

Pearls by CW Jewllers: History of the pearl

Pearls and Other Organic Gems:

Pearl History- The Queen of Gems: "There is doubtlessly no other gem with a history as long and as romantic as that of the pearl. No one will ever know who were the earliest people to collect and wear pearls. Pearls have been recorded though history and is one of the oldest known gem... "

Pearls in literature and myths:

• Galligent Studios: The Myths and Legends of the Pearl
• Myths and Legend surrounding pearls:
• Pearl: A gift to the gods from the sea (from myths in India)
• The Power of Pearls:

Pinctada Maxima Oyster Anatomy: White Creek

Species Conservation Action Plan for Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera): This report was prepared within the project "Inventories of Species and Habitats, Development of Management Plans and Capacity Building in Relation to Approximation of EU Birds and Habitats Directives" with financial assistance from the Danish Environmental agency. Written by: Mudite Rudzite

The Creation of the Pearl:

To Reproduce, Mussels Go Fishing.  

• The evolution of this freshwater pearl-maker reaches its apex in our Southeastern rivers   A Smithsonian Magazine Article

University of Nebraska: Conservation and Survey Division Traditional Birthstones:
Compiled by Roger K. Pabian, Professor Emeritus

USGS: Pearls: Although it is made up of a mineral, its organic origin excludes it from being included with minerals.