News Materials Science

Researchers have unlocked the secret to pearls’ incredible symmetry

The discovery could inspire more optimal materials for solar panels and space travel

image of an Akoya oyster with several pearls

Researchers have discovered how oysters and other mollusks grow such symmetrical pearls, such as those of Akoya pearl oysters, pictured here. The finding could inspire new materials for solar panels and spacecraft.

Laura Otter

By Rachel Crowell

For centuries, researchers have puzzled over how oysters grow stunningly symmetrical, perfectly round pearls around irregularly shaped grains of sand or bits of debris.