Pearls - Things you should know

How does a Pearl form?

A pearl is formed when an irritant or foreign body either accidentally or by design, finds its way into the oyster or mollusc causing fine layers of naturally secreted nacreous tissue (nacre) as a defence mechanism to coat the intruder.  Over time many layers of nacre are deposited forming the pearl.

Natural Pearls

Natural Pearls are the rarest of all pearls growing naturally on the ocean floor.  They are extremely had to find and represent a very small percentage of pearls sold in the world today.

Cultured Pearls

Instead of an irritant accidentally entering an oyster (natural oyster) man intervenes by deliberating placing an irritant into the oyster.  After this, the oyster takes over and a pearl naturally forms – as in the natural oyster.

The art of pearl culturing was discovered and perfected over many years by a Japanese man called Mikimoto, to the point where it is virtually impossible to tell the difference between natural and cultured pearls.

Seawater Pearls - v - Freshwater Pearls

Seawater pearls are cultivated in oysters.  Freshwater pearls are cultivated in mussels.  Mussels can produce more than 1 pearl and are not as long living as oysters.  Natural mantle (living tissue) is used as the irritant in freshwater pearls whereas a bead is normally the irritant in seawater pearls.  Seawater pearls are considered much more valuable and generally do not produce pearls over 6.5-7.0 mm.  The oyster itself grows with each season and is capable of producing larger oysters in subsequent seeding.  Seawater pearls generally have a much higher lustre and thicker nacre with an appealing roundness and surface quality.