Yes, in most locations they kill the mollusk after it produces a pearl.
Removing a pearl does not harm the oyster – in fact, they can then insert a new nucleus and grow another pearl inside of the same oyster.
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.
Pearls are made by marine oysters and freshwater mussels as a natural defence against an irritant such as a parasite entering their shell or damage to their fragile body. The oyster or mussel slowly secretes layers of aragonite and conchiolin, materials that also make up its shell.
Harvesting Pearls
Some oysters can produce two to three pearls over the course of their lifetime, but only an oyster with pearls of good quality will repeat the process of producing a pearl.
How long does it take for a pearl to be produced? The process of producing a pearl can range from 6 months to several years. Even before this, it takes about 3 years for the mollusk to reach a mature age in order to produce a pearl.
Saltwater oysters will only produce 1 to 2 pearls per typical nucleation. Akoya oysters can be nucleated with up to 5 beads but the use of only 2 is most common. The Akoya oyster dies at harvest.
Oysters have been around for approximately 15 million years. An oyster becomes an adult when it turns one year old and can live as long as 20 years. Oysters can change their sex. In fact, they will often do it more than once.
No, the majority of the world wouldn't consider pearls to be vegan. As the wide mollusc family who are responsible for producing pearls, of which oysters are the most notable, are part of the animal kingdom, their pearls too aren't strictly suitable for anyone on a plant-based diet.
Vegans would argue that pearls aren't exactly cruelty free. According to PETA, culturing pearls involves surgically opening each oyster shell and inserting an irritant in the oyster, which is stressful to the animal.
If the oyster is deemed incapable of producing another pearl, a reputable and sustainable pearl farmer will humanely kill the oyster or sell it for food. Many disreputable oyster farmers cultivating pearls will simply force the oyster open once the pearl is ready for harvest and then toss it back into the sea to die.
Some pearls form naturally, but others, known as cultured pearls, are created by inserting a special irritant inside the shell. Some oysters are grown specifically for producing pearls, which can be removed without killing the oyster, and new irritants inserted to grow more.
There are no obvious signs that an oyster, mussel, or clam has a pearl inside. You just have to open it to see; it's kind of like a guessing game. That being said, larger oysters, mussels, or clams may have pearls because they've had a longer time to develop.
However, as oysters do not have a central nervous system, they are not believed to be sentient and so don't feel pain. As a result, some vegans who turn to the diet for reasons of animal cruelty may make an exception knowing that ultimately oysters don't feel anything.
"When you slurp back oysters raw, they are still alive or just freshly killed or shucked prior to serving, which is why you oftentimes see them on ice," says Alex Lewis, RD, LDN, a dietitian for Baze. This ensures they are fresh when eating, so they maintain the right flavor profile, texture and nutrient density.
If the shell does not close tightly or the oyster meat is dry when the shell is open, the product should be discarded. Avoid eating oysters when their shell is broken or damaged. The meat of shucked oysters is usually a creamy tan color, plump, and should smell fresh and mild.
An oyster pearl's worth depends on various factors, such as quality and significance. Oyster pearl prices can range from $20 to $5,000 or more per pearl. Additionally, natural pearls can be more expensive, and size is also an important factor.
The Australian South Sea Pearls are the Jewels of the Ocean and are the rarest and most highly prized pearls in the world. They are known as the Queen of Pearls.
Typical Price Range: Low: below US$100. Average: US$150 – US$300. Fine Quality: US$400 – US$6,000 or more.
Gold Pearls
One of the largest and rarest pearls found around the world is Gold in color. They are Golden South Sea pearls, cultured in the Philippine Islands. Golden South Sea pearls have only been available to pearl lovers since the late 1970s, and are known as the “Rolls Royce” of cultured pearls.
A black pearl can also be formed from a white pearl-producing oyster that has an unusual black colouring in its nacre. This, however, is very rare and occurs in only one in 10,000 pearls.
The value of a pearl can vary dramatically depending on many factors, such as its type, size, color, surface quality, and more. A wild pearl will be worth more than a cultured pearl. However, on average, a pearl's value ranges from $300 to $1500.