蚌

• Bivalve mollusks (clams, mussels, oysters), typically those capable of producing pearls.
• Nacre or mother-of-pearl; specifically the iridescent shell material used for inlay and ornamentation in jewelry and luxury arts.
• Used metonymically as the "vessel" or rough exterior protecting a hidden value (the pearl).

Stable noun.

Contrast with 螺 (snail/conch): 蚌 refers exclusively to bivalves (hinged), whereas 螺 refers to gastropods (spiral). This distinction is generally maintained in texts regarding aesthetics or natural history.

Semantic variant: U+872F. This form may appear in early prints or manuscripts and does not alter the meaning of the glyph.