| Are cultured pearls genuine pearls or imitation ones? | | | | What's the Difference Between Fake Pearls and |
| Understand the difference between a fake pearl, a | | | | Cultured Pearls? |
| natural pearl and a cultured one. | | | | Fake ones are made of beads of either plastic or |
| Are Cultured Pearls Real? | | | | glass that have been coated in a shiny substance to |
| Yes, they are real pearls produced by a real live | | | | make them look pearly. They have never been inside |
| oyster or mussel within its body. However, they | | | | a mollusk. They are made by man, not by an oyster. |
| haven't been formed by accident. Human intervention | | | | Cultured pearls are made by an oyster or mussel that |
| coaxes the animal to start forming the gem. Real | | | | lives in a body of water. |
| pearls come in two types, natural and cultured ones. | | | | What About Natural Pearls? |
| Most high quality pearl necklaces on the market today | | | | Natural pearls are produced by an accident of nature, |
| are made of the cultured variety. | | | | and are rarely found today. Hundreds of years ago |
| How are Cultured Pearls Formed? | | | | they were frequently found in oyster beds around the |
| A tiny sliver of nacre producing mantle tissue and | | | | world. However, a century ago the oyster beds |
| often a spherical piece of shell are inserted into the | | | | diminished and were in danger of becoming extinct. So |
| oyster, and then they are returned to their watery | | | | dedicated individuals experimented until they |
| home, where humans keep an eye on them, protecting | | | | discovered a process by which oysters could be |
| them and watching over their health during the months | | | | coaxed into producing a pearl. These are the cultured |
| or years that it takes for the animal to produce the | | | | pearls we have today. They are usually identified as |
| pearl. During this time the oyster secretes layer after | | | | such to distinguish them from the natural ones that |
| layer of the shiny nacre that gradually builds up into a | | | | occur accidentally. Both are real pearls. |
| beautiful gem. | | | | |