The biological approach to forming crystals is proving to be most surprising. Mollusks build their shells by using a hydrophobic silk gel, very acidic aspartic acid rich proteins, and apparently also an amorphous precursor phase from which the crystals form. All this takes place in a highly structured chitinous framework. Here we present ideas on how these disparate components work together to produce the highly structured pearly nacreous layer of the mollusk shell. Mollusk shell nacre is full of surprises: Here ideas are presented on how disparate components like a hydrophobic silk gel, highly acidic proteins, and possibly an amorphous, transient mineral precursor phase are assembled within a chitinous scaffold to produce the pearly nacreous layer of a mollusk shell (shown here).