Mother-of-pearl looks dainty hanging from a necklace, but this iridescent innard of abalone shells is so tough it can withstand the weight of a truck. Also called nacre, the material has long puzzled ...

Nacre is a technologically remarkable organic–inorganic composite biomaterial. It consists of an ordered multilayer structure of crystalline calcium carbonate platelets separated by porous 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 ...