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California Mussel (Mytilus californianus)

Hello CherryBlossom, welcome to PG. Natural vs CFWP Luster ---------- 0.5 - 0.5 Consistent with either, matching not precise. Shape ---------- 0.5 - 0.5 Non graded match more common in natural strands, but easily replicated in FWP. Inclusions ------ 0.5 - 0.5 Circular growth fronts. Common in...

Hello mazelle, You have an unusual find. Pearls from crustaceans are considered rare, but not uncommon. Although crabs and oysters share the same spaces in the environment, they're not similar in any way. Molluskan pearls are formed from aragonite and calcite within a protein matrix...

The "brandy bottle" shape is quite strong, but like any glass they can break. I'd recommend they be worn on shorter strings so they'll not swing around and contact hard surfaces. The flat profile brings the contents into view much better than round vials which have much thinner glass. The...

M. californianus are a much bigger shell. 30cm and more than a kilogram is not uncommon. The pearls are highly translucent and present with wonderful effervescent patterns. More than M. edulis or M. galloprovincialis, which tend to have high ratios of calcite throughout the life cycle...

I have successfully grafted pearls in California mussels, though viability remains an issue. Mussels may change sex more than once in their life cycle, but not always. There also tends to be a predominance of males to assure motile fertilization of female fecundity. I have not observed any...

Though other factors apply, graft selection criteria is largely based upon the colors of the donor. While that may be technically considered artificial in the recipient, the color in the donor occurred naturally, even in a hatchery setting with discriminating brood stock selection. So long as...

Although perna and mytilus are synonyms, I looked at the taxonomy key and noticed different authors of the parent classification. Linnaeus classified Blue mussels in 1758, Gmelin classified Green mussels in 1791 and Conrad classified California mussels in 1837. I've added California mussels...

For a start, it's important to know a broadly used term "in the gonad" is not a good physiological explanation. Any damage, incision or disease of the gonad would almost certainly be fatal. In the pockets of connective tissues surrounding the gonads is a better descriptor. Mussels and pearl...

It's possible but mytiloida (mussels) present with unique problems separate from pterioda (pearl oysters) or even freshwater unionoda (freshwater mussels). What's your background? Any experience in aquatic biology or marine engineering?

Hi, Steve. It's been a while, but I'm glad you dropped in to show us the ring. Nicely done!

This strikes to the heart of the matter. I grew up knowing my mother wore pearls, my grandmother wore pearls and her mother wore pearls. While I was just a boy, my curiosity and big stick led me to discover freshwater mussels in the wiles of Quetico Park, in Northwestern Ontario during a Canada...

You have the right ethic, but the wrong idea how farms operate. These ill informed party hosts wrongly perpetuate the claim that there's a pearl in every oyster. Not to mention numerous other ridiculous things they say or do. Until the time of harvest, a pearl farmer has no idea whether an...

Pearls grow with concentric lines radiating outward from the nucleus. Beads made from cut shell have visible bisected lines at the surface. The nucleus radiates inward from outside the circle.

It's a fluke, even in nature.

Here's a diagram I drew up a few years ago. It defines shell structure in all mollusks.

To be a little more elaborate, I'll include the material produced by the e-cells during their respective period in the growth cycle. periostracial (conchiolin) -> prismatic (calcite) -> nacreous (aragonite) Not all mollusks though. In the case of scallops or some gastropods it's...

It's the prismatic layer, which are lathes of calcite. The triad of shell (pearl) structure is periostracial -> prismatic -> nacreous. In lay terms, water barrier -> strength -> finish.

Not very many. In fact, I don't open any in the absence of external features or high incidence. Natural pearls tend to occur in identifiable patches. Weather beaten shells, parasite infestations, holes etc. Forty years revisiting the reefs one develops a keen eye. I gather tissue samples for...

And one more.