How Pearls Form and Which Species Makes Them

How Pearls Form and Which Species Makes Them The pearls you may wear in earrings and necklaces are the result of an irritant under the shell of a living organism. Pearls are formed by saltwater or freshwater  mollusks - a diverse group of animals that includes oysters, mussels, clams, conchs, and gastropods.   How Do Mollusks Make Pearls? Pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a bit of food, a grain of sand, bacteria or even a piece of the mollusks mantle becomes trapped in the mollusk. To protect itself, the mollusk secretes the substances aragonite (a mineral) and conchiolin (a protein), which are the same substances it secretes to form its shell. The composite of these two substances is called nacre, or mother-of-pearl. The layers are deposited around the irritant and it grows over time, forming the pearl. Depending on how the aragonite is arranged, the pearl may have a high luster (nacre, or mother-of-pearl) or a more porcelain-like surface that doesnt have that luster. In the case of the low-luster pearls, the sheets of aragonite crystals are perpendicular to or at an angle to the surface of the pearl. For the iridescent nacreous pearls, the crystal layers are overlapping. Pearls may be a variety of colors, including white, pink and black. You can tell an imitation pearl from a real pearl by rubbing them on your teeth. Real pearls feel gritty against the teeth due to the layers of nacre, while imitation ones are smooth. Pearls are not always round. Freshwater pearls are often shaped more like puffed rice. Unusual shapes can also be prized for jewelry, especially for large pearls. Which Mollusks Make Pearls? Any mollusk can form a pearl, although they are more common in some animals than in others. There are animals known as pearl oysters, which includes species in the genus Pinctada. The species Pinctada maxima (called the gold-lipped pearl oyster or silver-lipped pearl oyster) lives in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific from Japan to Australia and produce pearls known as South Sea Pearls. Pearls may also be found and cultured in freshwater mollusks and are often produced by species collectively called pearl mussels. Other pearl-producing animals include abalones, conchs, pen shells, and whelks. How are Cultured Pearls Made? Some pearls are cultured. These pearls do not form by chance in the wild. They are helped by humans, who insert a piece of shell, glass or mantle into a mollusk and wait for pearls to form. This process involves many steps for the oyster farmer. The farmer must raise the oysters for about three years before they are mature enough to implant, keeping them healthy. Then they implant them with the graft and nucleus and harvest the pearls 18 months to three years later.   As natural pearls are very rare and hundreds of oysters or clams would have to be opened to find one wild pearl, cultured pearls are more common.

Literature review on Consumer Choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Literature review on Consumer Choice - Essay Example The aim is to explore additional alternatives or wait. Whether mundane or not, these choices describe and shape lives. The author asks hard questions on how to choose. The author researches on whether the desire is inborn or developed. According to this literature review, the decisions we make have enormous consequences. According to B. Schwartz, too many choices end up confusing consumers. This also makes them feel have no satisfaction. Consumers have the ability to make little to choose when they have too many choices. Many choices are likely to add the quality of decisions Professor R. Iyengars research investigates how consumers respond to non-linear pricing programs. He looks at how quality of services affects the ability of a consumer to make decisions. He found that both quality and quantity matter when it comes to decision making. Most first service encounters look for quality. They are, therefore, critical. Too many choices become a problem to the consumer. Currently, people think many choices lead to quality choices. Many choices give a satisfaction to consumers and how the marginal utility affects consumer choices. Human desires are infinite and hard to manage according to this source. Confusing and overwhelming amounts of information could have a negative impact on the ability of consumers to purchase. Limited choices cause consumers to feel dissatisfied with the choices they make. Choice overload has the potential of causing consumers to choose choices they cannot handle. Manufacturers are considering streamlining the number of options they present to consumers The degree of difficulty of picking the best option from many options influences consumer purchase deferral. It is clear that consumer purchases are the outcome of two decisions i.e. to buy or not to buy. This is coupled with a selection decision. Consumer equilibrium is achieved when consumer purchases the combination that the highest

Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Marketing Plan - Essay Example has more distinctive products than McDonalds; it has fewer items on the menu, as it focuses more on individual products. It should be highlighted that McDonalds also use traditional print, electronic and radio media followed by internet and new media for publicity and promotion. The company also initiated a promotional campaign named â€Å"I’m Lovin’ it†, sponsored Olympic athletes, host charitable events, Social media etc. to entice maximum customers towards its stores. KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American international food seller that has established more than 15,000 KFC outlets across 109 countries and territories around the world. Indeed, the business serves an estimated 12 million customers each day at its stores. The business is an important competitor of Carl’s Jr. because it offers various similar products. The company has an advertising budget of over $1 billion and sales revenue of $11 billion in 2009 that shows its financial strength and brand acceptance among fast food lovers. In addition, KFC also utilizes all traditional and social media channels. KFC focuses on Product and Market Development through induction of new recipes and food products (such as fiery wings) in its portfolio. Indeed, it launched promotional campaigns including free vouchers, Family Feast Combo, free gifts, KFC buckets, KFC cricket promotion etc. to tempt customers towards its stores. (KFC.com) Hungry Jack is a subsidiary of Burger King Incorporation and it is operational in Australia since 1971. The company has strong brand recognition and establishment in Australia with over 300 stores in 2010. The franchise is unique in a way that it offers a complete range of breakfast, hamburgers, chicken meals, desserts, drinks, sides / salad and kids’ meals to its valued customers. Indeed, the company advertises heavily on electronic media to lure food freaks. Indeed, Hungry Jacks advertises heavily on electronic media for sales promotion campaigns. In addition, the

Cowgirl Chocolates Essay Example for Free

Cowgirl Chocolates Essay In 1997, Marilyn Lysohir and her husband Ross Coates began making and distributing chocolates and other treats in addition to working as an artist in Moscow. Cowgirl Chocolates are all-natural, kosher chocolates that are unique in that they contain hot pepper as an ingredient. When you first put one in your mouth, it will taste smooth like other high quality chocolates. After a second or two, youll taste the fiery pepper. Marilyn admits that not everyone can take the heat of her chocolates. However, enough people enjoy both chocolate and spice to keep Marilyn busy shipping her candies from Moscow to all over the world. Cowgirl Chocolates come in mint, orange, lime-tequila, espresso, and milk chocolate. Although espresso is the hottest, all five flavors are hot. In order to appease people who prefer chocolate without spice, this year Marilyn has started making mild-mannered milk chocolate and dark chocolate truffles. Also in the line of Cowgirl Chocolates products, are a spicy caramel sauce and merchandise with the company logo and the tongue-in-cheek warning: sissies stay away. Cowgirl Chocolates quickly began earning awards and gaining attention. Among the eleven awards that Marilyn keeps in her garage are two Golden Chiles, awarded by Chile Pepper Magazine. The critical success of Cowgirl Chocolates inspired Marilyn to adapt and increase the size of her operation. Today, Cowgirl Chocolates are made in cooperation with Seattle Chocolates. Marilyn makes the caramel sauce in a specialty kitchen in Sandpoint. As it turns out, shipping Cowgirl products to numerous locations throughout the world has proven to be the most difficult part of the business.

Economies of Scale Essay -- Economics Economy Essays

Economies of Scale Economics Test 1. Define and explain all Internal Economies of Scale:  · Internal Economies of Scale:Are reductions in long-run average cost as the size and output of a firm increases. In other words, they are advantages that large firms have because they are large. As they grow larger in the long-run they manage to raise their output faster than the rise in their total costs. The result is lower long-run average cost. - Marketing economies- Both in buying materials and selling its finished goods a large firm is n a better position than a smaller one. In buying the products it needs, the large firm often pays less for raw materials, machinery and so on because suppliers are sure they are going to get large orders and do not want to lose a big customer. E.g. A producer of shoelaces will sell its products for à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¤1 per packet to Nike because it has an order of 1000 packets per week. But for Adidas it will sell them à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¤2 because it has only an order of 100 packets per week. So Nike has a lower cost per packet compare to Adidas. In selling its products, Nike can afford to pay for expensive and professionally made advertisements or employ specialist salesmen much easier than Adidas. The large total cost of advertising can be spread over a large output that is sold. Therefore, the average cost of advertising will be low. - Financial economies- If Nike is going to borrow money because it is a well known firm, it is considered more reliable, and less risky is easier to borrow than Adidas. So Nike can borrow a large amount of money with a lower interest rate compared to Adidas. E.g. If Nike borrows à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¤1, 000000 it will pay an 8% interest rate while if Adidas borrows à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¤1,000 it wil... ...At OQ the firm is enjoying Internal Economies of Scale and its average cost falls. Beyond this point, further growth would make the firm less efficient. Instead of producing with a low average cost, extra production would cause the average cost of each unit of output to rise. 8. Why do small firms still exist? - New firms - Firms do not start large. In other words. Many firms are small because they are new. Those that will be successful are expected to become large over the years. - Desire to remain in control- Sometimes owners of small firms may not want the firm to grow too large in case they lose personal control. - Lack of Finance- Small firms find it difficult to expand because they cannot raise finance. Large companies have huge retained profits and also can sell shares to the general public. Small firms can neither of these.

Derek Bentely Essay

Why Derek Bentley’s execution was important in changing attitudes to Capital Punishment? For serious crimes, such as murder, the government has introduced a punishment which is known as the Capital punishment. It’s a death penalty for the person who committed a crime. The government believed that the harshness in the punishment would deter crimes and also bring justice to the victim’s family. However, during the 20th centuary, there were concerns questioning the necessity of the death penalty.One of the controversial execution is of Derek Bentley, who was accused of murder and was executed as a result. On Sunday the 2nd November 1952, Bentley, aged 19, and Christopher Craig, aged 16 broke into a London Warehouse, intending to commite the crime of burglary. The arrival of the police at the scene sbotaged their intention and their plan to escape through the roof.In panic Criag shot one of the police, PC Sidney and killed him consequently. Eventhough both Craig and Bentley were charged with murder, it was only Bentley who was executed as Craig was under 18 and a law which was passed in 1933 stating that people under 18 could no longter be hanged restrained the execution of Craig. But the public’s concern was: was the exceution of Bentely fair at all? Since Bentley was known to have learning difficulties and had the mental age of 11, the local people though the execution was utterly unfair. In addition, Bentley didn’t own any weapon nor he pulled the trigger and shot the officer. This strongly suggests the injustice that’s in his execution and the poepl’s denail against it. This particular exceution changed many people’s attitudes toward Capital punishment overwhelmingly. People had gathered outside Wandsworth jail, where they showed great sympathy by singing and praying for him and also were protesting against the decision of the execution. Also, a petion of 200 members asking for the mercy of Bentley was passed around, to which the government showed no remorse to. Many pointed out that the mental age of Bentley is younger than Craig’s and this led to these protests against the useage of Capital punishment. To conclude, Bentley’s execution was one of the principal elements that has been the cause to abolish the Capital punishment and changed many people’s views as  it was inquitable to sentence someone with mental disabilities and who had not even committed murder to death.

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