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Article: Why No Pearls in Ancient Tombs?
- Article from:
- Xinhua News Agency
- Article date:
- October 31, 1996
CopyrightCopyright 1996 Xinhua English Newswire. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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The reason why pearls have never been found in ancient tombs is
that they easily become damaged and lose their beauty, according to
Chinese scientists.
Zheng Hanqin and Yang Jianping, from the Hebei Geology Institute
in north China's Hebei Province, explained that fresh pearls are a
gathering of crystal aragonite.
Within 50-70 years, the crystal aragonite will gradually lose its
moisture content and change into calcite, which has no luster. The
calcite soon ...