NOVA Season 26 Episode 10 The Perfect Pearl 1998
The pearl—the only gem produced by a living animal—has long carried a certain allure. Yet the best mollusk for making this gem—the pearl oyster—doesn't always produce a pearl, and even then, the pearls are rarely perfectly round. It wasn't until the late nineteenth century, when a Japanese scientist discovered a technique to incite oysters to produce these gems, that an industry was formed. Inducing an oyster to create a pearl is only half the battle—the oyster then needs a nutrient-rich, open environment in which to grow. This NOVA program looks at the science of pearl farming, follows efforts of oyster farmers trying to cope with growing problems of pollution and overcrowding, and considers the shifting sands of dominance within the pearl industry.
- Released: 1998-12-29
- Runtime: 55 minutes
- Genre: Documentary
- Stars:
- Director:
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1. Lost at Sea: The Search for Longitude 1998-10-06
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2. Chasing El Nino 1998-10-13
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3. Terror In Space 1998-10-27
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4. Special Effects: Titanic and Beyond 1998-11-03
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5. Deadly Shadow of Vesuvius 1998-11-10
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6. Ice Mummies: Frozen in Heaven (1) 1998-11-24
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7. Ice Mummies: Siberian Ice Maiden (2) 1998-11-24
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8. Ice Mummies: Return of the Iceman (3) 1998-11-24
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10. The Perfect Pearl 1998-12-29
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11. The Beast of Loch Ness 1999-01-12
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12. Submarines, Secrets, and Spies 1999-01-19
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18. Battle Alert in the Gulf 1999-02-23
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19. Volcanoes of the Deep 1999-03-30
