A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusc. Just like the shell of a clam, a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes (baroque pearls) occur. The finest quality natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries. Because of this, pearl has become a metaphor for something rare, fine, admirable and valuable.
The most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild, but are extremely rare. These wild pearls are referred to as natural pearls. Cultured or farmed pearls from pearl oysters and freshwater mussels make up the majority of those currently sold. Imitation pearls are also widely sold in inexpensive jewelry, but the quality of their iridescence is usually very poor and is easily distinguished from that of genuine pearls. Pearls have been harvested and cultivated primarily for use in jewelry, but in the past were also used to adorn clothing. They have also been crushed and used in cosmetics, medicines and paint formulations.
Pearls is an album by Ronnie Drew in collaboration with a group called Grand Canal. It consists mainly of poetry recited by Drew over music performed by the group. Released in 2007, it also features previously released recordings from The Celtic Poets by Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart.
1. Providence
2. Steel Boat Runners
3. Gone In The Wind
4. At The Tail End Of A Hurricane
5. About SuperHeroes
6. London Rain
7. Bagpipe Music
8. The Dunes
9. A Man I Knew
10. Clear Air Turbulence
11. Saturn
Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 and 10 by Grand Canal
Tracks 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 from The Celtic Poets by Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart
In 2008, this album was given away free with the Sunday Independent and featured an extra track called "Longing".
A pearl is a hard object produced by mollusks.
Pearl may also refer to:
Nicknamed Pearl
Summer is the sixth album of pianist George Winston and his fifth solo piano album, released in 1991. It was reissued on Dancing Cat Records in 2008.
The list of friends for the popular Barbie line of dolls that began in 1959. Since character continuity has not been consistent over time, there is no real "canon" lineup. At different times, different groups of dolls were offered, and the naming and apparent age relationships of the characters has varied considerably.
Summer is an English feminine given name of recent coinage derived from the word for the season of summer, the warmest season of the year and a time people generally associate with carefree and fun activities. It's been in common use as a name since at least 1970 in English-speaking countries. Summer, along with other seasonal and nature names, came into fashion as part of the 1960s and 70s counterculture.
The name was the 30th most common name given to girls born in England and Wales in 2011, was the 36th most popular name given to girls born in Scotland in 2011 and the 82nd most popular name for girls born in Northern Ireland in 2011. It was among the 10 most popular names given to baby girls born in 2008 in the Isle of Man. It also ranked as the 40th most popular name for baby girls born in New South Wales, Australia in 2011 and the 51st most popular name for girls born in British Columbia, Canada in 2011. It was the 173rd most popular name for girls born in the United States in 2011. It has ranked among the top 300 names for girls in the United States since 1970 and was the 648th most common name for girls and women in the United States in the 1990 census.