Sign In
We'll never share your email with anyone else.
Reset Password

Enter your email address and we'll send you a link to reset your password.

Back to Sign In


NOVA Season 26 Episode 10 The Perfect Pearl 1998

The pearl—the only gem produced by a living animal—has long carried a certain allure. Yet the best mollusk for making this gem—the pearl oyster—doesn't always produce a pearl, and even then, the pearls are rarely perfectly round. It wasn't until the late nineteenth century, when a Japanese scientist discovered a technique to incite oysters to produce these gems, that an industry was formed. Inducing an oyster to create a pearl is only half the battle—the oyster then needs a nutrient-rich, open environment in which to grow. This NOVA program looks at the science of pearl farming, follows efforts of oyster farmers trying to cope with growing problems of pollution and overcrowding, and considers the shifting sands of dominance within the pearl industry.

  • Released: 1998-12-29
  •   Runtime : 55 minutes
  •   Genre : Documentary
  •   Stars :
  •   Director :