just back from the philippines

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Natural means without human intervention, by any means. Period.

The pearl culture industry needs to change their terms to exclude "natural", not the other way around.

[Caitlin]

I agree, but it sure is bucking the tide. I find myself calling natural pearls wild, or wild grown natural pearls.

[Unusual Pearls]

yeah unfortunately these chinese freshwater pearls and are standard fare at every gift shop in south east asia.

that is a problem with the pearl industry, the use of the term natural. it can be use in many ways. people use the word to describe natural color. to describe natural shape in some wildly exotic baroque pearl. or it can be used to describe a pearl as naturally formed as opposed to cultured.

or my persoanl favorite... naturally cultured.