I know someone in this group has the answer to the following.  Please
respond to Mario directly if you do.

Kevin

p.s. to Charles Sturm:  I'm getting there.  I'll talk to you next week.

From: "Mario Osorio" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Kevin S. Cummings" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: nacre composition
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 16:00:09 -0400
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
Importance: Normal

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my question. [ON NACRE
COMPOSITION]
I'll expand it and see how much more you can help, and if not, please let
me know and I won't be bothering you anymore.  A friend of mine, a Doctor,
is working on her P.D. of Cosmetology.  She's trying to demonstrate the
usefullness of nacre dust in beauty treatments. She asked me to find out as
much as possible on the internet (I'm doing this as a favor, for I'm just a
PC programmer).

Up to know I've only been able to find its composition:
~ 86 % calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
2 - 4 % water
~ 10 % conchiolin (an organic binding agent)
and the description you just sent me.

[A mussel shell is (from outside in); periostracum, followed by a
calcareous layer of vertical prisims of calcium carbonate, and then the
nacreous layer of thin calcium carbonate layers that run parallel to the
surface of the shell]

I haven't found, though, any references about the use of nacre in
cosmetology. I did find some historical references about the use of pearl
powder, though.  Any lead you could give me about any source of information
on nacre or pearl
uses in cosmetology will be highly appreciated.

Mario Osorio
Kevin S. Cummings
Illinois Natural History Survey
607 E. Peabody Drive
Champaign, IL 61820
[log in to unmask]
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/mollusk.html