When you purchase through links on our site , we may take in an affiliate commission . Here ’s how it figure out .
Abalone Nacre
A closemouthed feel at nacre , or mother - of - pearl , in an abalone shield , a type of nautical mollusk . [ take More : female parent - of - Pearl Inspires New Ceramics ]
Stacked Nacre
The stacked arrangement of nacre makes it incredibly unassailable , because fissure can not trip in a straight line through the cloth .
Abalone Nacre Close
Nacre is made of Ca carbonate mortared together with organic protein .
Real and Synthetic Nacre
A comparison of real nacre ( top ) and a ceramic made to mime natural mother - of - pearl .
Crack Path
This low - magnification image shows the devious itinerary a crack must take through the synthetic female parent - of - ivory cloth .
Magnified Crack
A go must zig - zag its path through the stacked platelets in the new ceramic .
