Pearl vs Ticul

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A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate (mainly aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite) in minute crystalline form, which has deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes, known as baroque pearls, can occur. The finest quality of natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries. Because of this, pearl has become a metaphor for something rare, fine, admirable and valuable. The most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild, but are extremely rare. These wild pearls are referred to as natural pearls. Cultured or farmed pearls from pearl oysters and freshwater mussels make up the majority of those currently sold.

Imitation pearls are also widely sold in inexpensive jewelry, but the quality of their iridescence is usually very poor and is easily distinguished from that of genuine pearls. Pearls have been harvested and cultivated primarily for use in jewelry, but in the past were also used to adorn clothing. They have also been crushed and used in cosmetics, medicines and paint formulations. Whether wild or cultured, gem-quality pearls are almost always nacreous and iridescent, like the interior of the shell that produces them. However, almost all species of shelled mollusks are capable of producing pearls (technically "calcareous concretions") of lesser shine or less spherical shape. Although these may also be legitimately referred to as "pearls" by gemological labs and also under U.S. Federal Trade Commission rules, and are formed in the same way, most of them have no value except as curiosities.

Source: Wikipedia

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Ticul is a city and the municipal seat of the Ticul Municipality, Yucatán in Mexico. It is located some 100 km south of the state capital city of Mérida. In 2000 Ticul had a population of about 28,000 people. The majority are ethnically Maya. Ticul was a town of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It has been continuously occupied since at least the 7th century BC. After the Spanish conquest of Yucatán Ticul was reestablished as a Spanish colonial town in 1549.

The Republic of Yucatán granted Ticul the status of a city in 1847. The city is nicknamed La Perla del Sur ("The Pearl of the South"), as it is in the southern part of Yucatán state. Ticul has long been known for the red pottery produced there. Over half the population still speaks the Maya language as their first tongue, although Spanish is also understood. The pork dish poc-chuc is a well known local specialty.

Source: Wikipedia