Pearl Guide

Cultured Pearls Defined

A cultured pearl is any pearl grown with the influence of human intervention.

Cultured Pearl Formation

A pearl is formed when a small irritant or parasite penetrates and lodges in the mantle tissue of a mollusk. In response, a substance called nacre is secreted, and the creation of a pearl begins. Nacre is a combination of crystalline and organic substances. The nacre builds up in layers, as it surrounds the irritant to protect the mollusk, and after a few years...

Saltwater Pearls Defined

A saltwater pearl is a calcium concretion (can be nacreous or non-nacreous) produced by a saltwater mollusk that lives in a saline/marine environment. These pearls can be either natural (no human intervention in its production and a product of a fishing operation) or cultured (produced with human intervention by means of pearl farming).

Natural Saltwater Pearls

Traditionally, most pearls were fished from saltwater-dwelling mollusks in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea...

Natural Pearls Defined

Natural pearls are calcium carbonate secretions which form within mollusks without human intervention.



Natural Pearls - Accidents of Nature

Natural pearls are formed randomly and really are simple accidents of nature. When a certain type of irritant, such as a parasite, becomes lodged in the tissue of a mollusk, the animal responds by secreting a calcium carbonate substance called nacre to coat the intruder and protect the mollusk. Over a period of several...

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The Pearl Necklace comes in many Sizes and Colors

The "classic" piece of pearl jewelry is, of course, the pearl necklace. Akoya pearls are the most traditional type of pearl used in necklaces, but freshwater pearls, Black Tahitian pearls, and large South Sea pearls are also used, often to stunning effect.

Akoyas, of course, exhibit the traditional white, silver, or cream colors, while Tahitians and South Sea pearls yield pearl necklaces ranging from bright white to darker tones. Freshwater...