Pearls are produced by a variety of different mollusks. Some of these mollusks only produce a single batch of pearls, and are killed for the pearls (and for their meat and shells, which are also used). Other mollusks, however, are capable of producing multiple rounds of pearls.
The end goal of a pearl farm is to breed the mollusks, produce the pearl and ultimately kill the oyster. The mussel meat is then eaten and the shell is repurposed into mother of pearl inlay and other decorative accessories. If you see an oyster that has been completely opened like this, there is no way it will survive.
There is nothing beautiful about the torture and death of millions of animals. Pearls are stolen from living beings, oysters, who are exploited and murdered. They form when an irritant or foreign object enters the shell of an oyster or mussel.
Oysters do not feel pain. They do not have a basic nervous system and have no brain. With that being said it is believed they do not and can not process pain like other animals.
Fans of cultured pearls take pride in the fact that the oysters are bred in cruelty free environments on pearl farms. However, PETA disagrees because of the process which requires pearl farmers to surgically open oyster shells. They then manually insert some form of irritant inside.
Using a pair of surgical tongs to carefully hold an oyster's valves open, a few incisions are made in the soft body of the oyster into which a bit of shell from a freshly sacrificed oyster is grafted. The pain on getting a splinter under our skin is very a mild form of what the pearl oyster is made to suffer.
Are pearls ethical? The pearl creation process involves exploiting oysters for human use. Many of the oysters die during the pearl culturing process so pearls cannot be called ethical.
Today, natural pearls are extremely rare. Only 1 in about 10,000 wild oysters will yield a pearl and of those, only a small percentage achieve the size, shape and colour desirable to the jewellery industry.
The typical price range for oyster pearls can range anywhere from $20 to $5,000 or more per pearl, based on various factors. Natural pearls will fetch a higher price range, as will those of exceptional quality or ulterior significance.
So to once again answer the question, yes, oysters are alive when eaten immediately after being shucked.
For those concerned about the environment, there is another reason to avoid pearls. Aquaculture has contributed to destruction of natural pearl oyster beds from pollution and overharvesting. Of course, with so many modern pearl imitations, as well as other kinds of jewelry, it's easy to do without pearls.
Some pearls can develop in a period of six months. Larger pearls can take up to four years to develop. This is one of several reasons why larger pearls can yield higher values. Pearl farmers must have immense patience to wait for a pearl inside an oyster shell to develop.
Some pearl “farmers” will remove pearls from an oyster without killing them, keeping them alive to endure repeated insertions of foreign materials to continue making pearls. It is estimated that around a third to half of them are kept while the rest are killed.
Oysters use their gills and cilia to process water and feed. Oysters have a small heart and internal organs, but no central nervous system. Lack of a central nervous system makes it unlikely oysters feel pain, one reason some people who otherwise are vegetarians comfortable eating oysters.
Generally speaking, humans cannot “force” an oyster to make a pearl. But one process that we can control is the irritant which gets into the oyster's shell and sparks the pearl-creation process.
No, pearls aren't vegan. Oysters and other mollusks only produce pearls as a response to a stressful environment, and it's speciesist to torment and kill an animal just because we think the end result is beautiful.
This Melo Melo pearl possesses what is perhaps the most beautiful feature of these exquisite pearls, something only 1 percent of Melo Melo pearls exhibit: the flamelike markings that dance across the surface. Melo Melo pearls take decades to grow in these sea snails—and they occur only naturally.
Sea of Cortez pearls are the only other naturally-colored "black" pearls in the world. Cultured in Guyamas, Mexico, they're also the most rare cultured pearl type today. Sea of Cortez pearls are cultired in the Ptera sterna, the Rainbow-lipped saltwater oyster.
While the white pearls are also priced by jewelers, the gold pearl variety is the most coveted color. The gold South sea pearl's color can range from creamy white to deep gold, and the darker the color, the more expensive it becomes.
The remote Kimberley coastline in the North-West of Australia is the perfect location for growing South Sea Pearls. The area is home to huge tidal variations of up to 12 metres (the second largest tides in the world). This mean that the oysters are provided with a constant supply of nutrients to feed on.
Typical Price Range: Low: below US$100. Average: US$150 – US$300. Fine Quality: US$400 – US$6,000 or more.
If an oyster that typically produces white pearls has an unusual black coloring in its nacre, it too can create a blackish pearl. This, however, is rare; it occurs in only one in 10,000 pearls.
This means that people of Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, Capricorn and Aquarius ascendant should not wear pearls. If such people wear pearls then their mind gets distracted and upheaval starts in life. Those people whose moon is placed in the 12th or 10th house in their horoscope are also not advised to wear pearls.
Do not sleep, shower or bathe while wearing your pearls. You need to make sure you're taking proper care of them. To clean your pearls, simply wipe them with a damp cloth after each wear. You can use mild soap if you want to, but be sure to avoid any harsh chemicals.
The chlorine used to purify water is sodium hypochlorite, which will destroy a pearl's luster on contact. To prevent any damage, dry yourself thoroughly after swimming and showering (if your water is treated with chlorine) before donning any pearl jewelry. The safety deposit box is the place where pearls go to die.