GIA’s Gems & Gemology the quarterly scientific journal of the Gemological Institute of America featured Louisiana LaPearlite® in the Summer 2018 edition. Derived from the organic shell of the Crassostrea virginica (American Oyster) the most important consumer mollusk in the United States, a species predominantly found in the waters of coastal Louisiana.
Anne Dale develop a process that allows a gemstone to be derived from the shell of the species. A 
cabochon cut gemstone from the shell of the Crassostrea virginica known as LaPearlite® became the Official Louisiana State Gemstone in 2011 .
While beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder, beauty really starts in the mind; perhaps that is why “common things” are often taken for granted… until they are taken from us. The purist of whites, to a gentle flow of golden wispy veils – in its final splendor each LaPearlite® is uniquely born of the sea.
The scientific research and article was conducted\authored by Artitaya Homkrajae gemologist at GIA in Carlsbad, California.