A legendary golden fabric lost for 2,000 years has been brought back

From ScienceDaily

A rare luxury material once worn only by emperors in ancient times has been successfully recreated by scientists in South Korea. Researchers led by Professor Dong Soo Hwang (Division of Environmental Science and Engineering / Division of interdisciplinary bioscience & bioengineering, POSTECH) and Professor Jimin Choi (Environmental Research Institute) have reproduced a shimmering golden fiber similar to one used more than 2,000 years ago. Their work relied on the pen shell (Atrina pectinata), a clam farmed in Korean coastal waters. Along with recreating the fabric known as sea silk, the team uncovered the scientific reason behind its long-lasting golden color. The findings were recently published in the journal Advanced Materials.