How Do Oysters Make Pearls? 

Salt + Singing + Crying + Singing While Crying = Pearl

I always hated science in school and I'm sure my science teachers hated me, but watching this makes me wish I cared more about science in school and that I actually took it more seriously. Great channel.

"Yeah, I'd like to buy some jewelry. I'll take a necklace with some compressed coal and mummified oyster gunk, please." Talk about classy.

When I heard that some people implant stuff in an oysters gonad to get a pearl, that was it. I had never felt more sorry for an oyster ever before in my entire life.

This had me thinking of my mother and her dentures. Glad for her sake that irritants under her dentures didn't create pearls. I could imagine the growth of a pearl in that location would be more irritating than the particle itself. Makes me feel bad for the oysters. I wish I had this thought while she was still living. It could have been a fun conversation. :) She was a really intelligent lady. - Heidi

I knew the basics of the making of a pearl but not all the details... Thanks for going in depth for us guys!

So... one oyster's junk is a woman's treasure?

As soon as he said "mother of pearl" spongebob came to mind

1:20 - I appreciate good alliteration.

he look like the type to go "Aye baby girl let me buy you some pearls and tell you all about how the simple irritant of an oyster forms this beautiful nacre over a candlelit dinner"

That explains where pearls come from, but WHY do they form? I'd think that surrounding a little irritant with layer upon layer until it's a huge ball would create a much bigger irritant, or are oysters able to expel the pearl somehow?

How does enlargening the irritant help the oyster? Would not a small layer of nacre suffice?

No wonder Pearl is salty...

so is Pearl a fancy piece of salt?

I'd like to know what exactly is the "sand" (or "eye boogers") we get on the inside area of our eyes (the part closest to the nose) when we wake up in the morning, and why does this occur?

Very good information. Thanks a lot.

Those "unperfect" pearls look like champagne flavored Jelly Bellys

Normally are pearls dispelled by the oyster? It seems odd that if it's a method of protection that the oyster would rather have a huge pearl blocking it's insides forever! But I've never heard of scouring the floor of oyster beds for pearls either.

Wow, that's really interesting. I've heard of oysters having pearls but I didn't know how they made it. 😮👌

Thank you for the very good information,

Does the oyster at some point release the irritant pearl or does it continue to get larger or will it stay the same size.

This was what I always wanted to know when I was a kid. The answer I was given then: they're just there. Adults care so much about children's education...

This is a thing that I never realized I wanted to know until literally right now.

Thanks I've been wondering this for years

My engagement ring has pearls instead of diamonds. They're beautiful and unique, and it's fun now to think about how they're made. ... Though I wish they weren't produced in the gonads. That's a little ... unromantic ....

Subbable!

Thank's for the Information...

I have always wondered, if you were an oyster and something got into your system and irritated you, how much less irritative would it be to drastically increase he size of said irritant?? Or does the oyster eventually spit the pearl out..

I was going to make some kind of joke, referencing...uh, a form of media, because well I got here from something else and I thought it was, uh a different kind of rock. I'm not going to say it, I'll just go back where I belong. I'm trash.

Peridot, get some oyster, Lapis, form a mini ocean, we have to make some pearls

thank you sm this is super helpful

So a pearl is an Oysters equivalent of a booger?

Wow those are some lost detective pearls right their.

I found a lobster pearl at work. I did some research and they don't normally make pearls because crustaceans shed their shells often, and also because it's not as easy for junk to get in under the shell as it is for mollusks. My best guess is that it was a genetic shell deformation, or perhaps an injury that grew strangely into a teardrop like shape, broke off, and then became rounded. But I'm not sure... What can you tell me about lobster pearls SciShow?

In the mississippi they are making pearls that are manmade but they are pink, lavender, and blue by altering the oyster's food. Old natural pearls like old mikimoto pearls can be worth a fortune. I saw one 30 inch strand worth 235,000 dollars, that would be a christmas present!

reminds me of the Jimmy Neutron movie where he puts Oysters into a microwave and get pearls like popcorn

instead of having dust in your eye, u got a giant eye booger, not sure which would be more irritating

Nice! very well said!

Do pearls grow to a certain size so the irritant can be dislodged easily, or do they just keep growing unless removed by humans?

How come some of these comments are already 3 days old?

And this is my theory why in Steven universe pearls are servants there different and there almost being gemest

what helps the oyster to have so many layers of the calzium? wouldn't 1mm thick layer be enough to sorround the Irritation and avoid further infections or stuff like that?

I know of this one pearl, It is beautiful It's captain is probably the best pirate you've ever heard of.

Is forcing oysters to make pearls animal abuse?

So are Subbable subscribers getting early access to the SciShow videos? Or is RU-vid lying about 3 day old comments? I have no problem if they are, just didn't realise it was another perk.

Hey SciShow. Scientifically, What are "goosebumps" and why do we get them? Why do we get the "chills" that give us goosebumps?

I've always wondered. Thanks for the knowledge! ☺️

do vegans wear pearls?

it's weird seeing the comment section empty.

White-nose syndrome in our bat populations is a big concern of mine. What I was wondering was whether or not an ozone generator would work. A number of years back there was an odor/mold problem at work that was solved using one.

As this guy seems like he's reading out of a text book, Hank seems like he knows exactly out of his head and explains thing in a fun way -.-

How do oysters produce offspring? Like is there just magically a baby oyster? And how does it get its shell?

so... Pearl is not a *gem*? I'VE BEEN F***ING LIED TO!!! WTF!?! I sad.

I really like your videos and they have taught me many good things. I was wondering if you would make one about "zero calorie" beverages

u should do a video on what causes Alexandria (one of my Birthstones) to appear to change colors and why

Why do onions make us cry

Speaking of round things in gonads, I've been reading a lot of books about history. One of which meantioned a culture (Can't remember which), where when men get a certain age they have their foreskin cut open, then have some beads inserted to make it look kind of like a cluster of grapes. Not only that, but the little beads have a small grain of sand inside them, so when they walk, you hear a little 'tinkling'. This supposedly sounded very enchanting or musical, but I think it had more to do with the fact that usually only rich men got this operation. So if a woman hears it, they know there's a very wealthy man nearby. The book I'm reading is focusing on China in 1421 or so, as well as their trading and travels, however this tradition is based elsewhere I think. Mysore or something like that. Pretty sure somewhere in India. Just thought I'd share this... weird bit of history.

Hi,like the video, I would like to know if you can make a video about diamonds 🌺🌸😊

How long does it take the oyster to form the pearl?

Where does a baby come from?

Why do deer in headlights act like deer in the headlights?

What is the reaction when skin sticks to cold metal and how does it happen?

so, in the wild, would oysters naturally eject pearls or would it just have a pearl in it forever? do oysters then get multiple pearls from various irritants? is there such a thing as cluster pearls like, where multiple irritants and pearl sacs get smooshed together?

Are viruses alive?

This makes me wonder how humane the process is considered.

Very interesting

LOL, he said "pearl sac and gonads"!! Thanks for fast talking though!

So has it ever happened where you go to eat oysters at a restaurant and you find a pearl inside?

I'm waiting for an episode where Hank starts with: "Oysters, how exactly do they make pearls?" "We have no idea!" "Thanks for watching SciShow" Would make for a great april fools day video.

Love it 😍

"keep these answers coming"

This all seems quite inhumane.

why youtube. why was this in my suggestions? is it because i watch too much steven universe? why youtube...?

Especially to our subbable subscribers who keep these /answers/ coming...

Im living few kilometers from indian ocean, and man lots of this pearls available here but never thought are in any use, lots i mean lots of them.

yeah, if a perfectly round pearl was created by a human at the expense of a poor seashell's comfort....

How many people are watching this video and also have Steven Universe on the brain?

Don't mind me, just a crystal gem passing through

Why do stretches feel so good? :D!

Why Does every animal only mate with the other gender ,but some dogs and some humans mate with their gender. I'm not gay. 0_o

And why do oysters make pearls? Do their babys hatch out of it?

So we're basically wearing a fishes tonsil stones- "Mother of pearls-" FIRE ON THE POOP DECK

It's like having a scratch and curing it with a scab :D

Subbable subscribers who keep these ansvers comming... thats intresting i though they keep questions comming

Cool!!

Dude your voice sounds soo familiar I cant place it but informative video thanks

Can we please get an episode on earthworms? The animal is superstrange, what with weird anatomy, mating habits, living conditions and all. Please?

good video

Wait a minute.. you are so eye catching.

Did anyone else giggle when he said "gonad"?

This is cool.

I have a seashell that I got from Pensacola Beach and it has something that has opened this year now that is coming out of it what is it can I keep it alive I found it in salt water I put it in regular water and for the last 4 days I have been putting salt in it and it is something coming out of it

Idea: Snowflakes. Before I moved somewhere where it snowed, I had always thought that the cartoon depictions of snowflakes as unique and composed of intricate designs was just that, a cartoon depiction (similar to the popularized depiction of a heart as opposed to the anatomical version of it). Now I know that snowflakes really are made up of intricate designs, but I want to know more!

Interesting!

So a lot of pearls start out as an itch on an oyster's ballsack? That's awesome, it's basically fromunda jewelry

So cultivated pearls are just our oyster version of putting Friday by Rebecca Black on repeat over your home cinema speakers which you've pointed towards the neighbour you really hate, while you are on vacation in the Maldives?

I saw Hank's Emerson ad before Hank's SciShow channel's video. Hank is getting ad revenue from Hank.

nacre makes the irridescence? or is it what makes the layers?

Hi can you please explain the venezuela lightning phenomenon, the Catatumbo lightning, please?

QQ: Does glass flow or not?