South Korean scientists have recreated a legendary golden fabric that was considered lost for 2,000 years.
According to ScienceDaily, the shiny golden fabric known as bisson was one of the world's most exclusive luxury materials, reserved for emperors and popes.
Led by Professors Dong Soo Hwang and Jimin Choi at Pohang University of Science and Technology, the team used Atrina pectinata mollusks to produce golden fibers similar to bisson. They also explained why the golden color does not fade over time.
In ancient Rome, the fabric was made from byssus threads of the noble pen shell. Due to pollution, the species is now endangered, and the EU has banned its harvesting. Alternative fibers from Atrina pectinata were found to have similar properties.
The color results from structural coloration, not dyes, where microscopic structures interact with light to produce color.
