Pearl oysters create pearls when a hard particle is coated with calcium carbonate (nacre) after entering the oyster. The oyster creates this nacre in order to cover irritants that enter its shell. This irritant is often an invading worm or a bead placed there by a human pearl farmer.
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. A mollusk is only able to begin the pearl making process naturally or with the help of humans when it reaches this mature age.
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.
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.
Yes, in most locations they kill the mollusk after it produces a pearl.
After the pearls are extracted from the oysters, one-third of oysters are “recycled” and put through the culturing process again. The others are killed and discarded.
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 most commonly used mussel known, as the Hyriopsis cumingi is capable of producing up to 40 pearls each harvest. This is a huge difference than that of saltwater oysters which can only produce one pearl at a time.
The Largest Pearl Ever Found: Discovery
The biggest recorded natural pearl in the world is the Pearl of Puerto. This pearl is often known as the Pearl of Puerto Princesa. A Filipino fisherman discovered it in the sea off the Philippine Islands. It weighs 75 pounds and is 2.2 feet long and wide.
The Pearl of Puerto, the Giga Pearl, and the Pearl of Lao Tzu (Pearl of Allah) are all rare, natural pearls that come from large clams found off the coast of the Philippines. Currently valued at over $100 million, the Pearl of Puerto would be a lifelong fortune for the fisherman if it is eventually sold.
How Much Are Real Pearls Worth? A traditional strand of white pearls can range from $100 (Freshwater pearl necklace) to $10,000 (Akoya pearl necklace). A strand of large, flawless South Sea pearls could even be valued as high as $100,000+ .
Because of the demand, natural pearls are over-harvested for years that it has now become one of the most coveted gems in the market.
The 22K to 24K Golden tone is a "Very Deep" natural Golden color. Golden South Sea pearls featuring the 22K to 24K hues are the rarest and most valuable (all other factors being equal).
There is no obvious sign that an oyster has a pearl inside. You have to open the shell to see if there's one inside. However, larger, older oysters are more likely to have pearls.
The Kimberley Region
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).
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — One guest's dinner may be another guest's treasure at a seafood restaurant. Chefs and line cooks are known to unearth unexpected items within shipments that are more than what they bargained for ― from natural pearls to mysterious oceanic creatures.
While natural pearls may be floating around within some salt-water oysters somewhere in middle of the ocean, these ocean diamonds are retrieved from 400 feet below sea level. It might be quite the undertaking, and an expensive one at that, but the rewards speak for themselves.
Naturally colored blue pearls are the rarest pearl colors in the world (with one or two exceptions, which we will get to below). The color has existed in pearls for decades, but only recently have naturally colored blue pearls gained popularity in the modern pearl jewelry markets.
Black Pearl Price Range:
Dyed Black Freshwater Pearls: $50 - $1000. Dyed Black Akoya Pearls: $100 - $2000.
While any oyster — and clams and mussels — can produce pearls, some species of oysters are more likely to produce pearls, while others may be harvested primarily to serve as food.
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.
"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.