Pearls- Fun Facts

Cosmetic & Medicinal Uses

Do pearls have any cosmetic or medicinal uses?

	Cosmetically: For centuries, people have relied on “pearl powder” made from ground up shells and low-grade pearls to give their skin that pale, pearlescent glow. Many countries such as Mexico, China, and elsewhere, make and export pearl cosmetics to other countries, including the United States.
	Medicinally: Any therapeutic value derived from pearls stems from their chemical composition. Pearls are made mostly of calcium and some twenty amino acids. However, medical research indicates that only a small amount of the calcium derived from pearls can be absorbed by the human body.

back to Fun Facts

	Pearls Home \| Pearls Exhibition \| Making Pearls \| Saving Pearls \| Field Museum Research \| Pearls of the Midwest \| Fun Facts \| Image Gallery \| Credits \| Field Museum Home
	© 2007 The Field Museum, All Rights Reserved 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605-2496 312.922.9410 Copyright Information \| Linking Policy © The American Museum of Natural History.Photo by Craig Chesek.	Technical Support webmaster@fieldmuseum.org