Mother Nature at Work - The Birth of a Natural Pearl

Pearls are organic gems, meaning that they grow inside a living organism, the mollusk. Mollusks include all varieties of oyster, clams, and mussels. Altogether there are many thousands of different types, although only a very few produce the gem quality pearls that we admire so much. Finding a gem quality natural pearl is an exceptional long shot, akin to winning the lottery.

A pearl begins its life as a simple piece of sand, grit or other tiny foreign object that finds it way into a mollusk's shell and can't be dislodged. The mollusk's sensitive flesh seeks relief from the irritation of the intruder by secreting layer upon layer of a substance called nacre on top of it. After years of this buildup and an enormous amount of good fortune, the result is a fine natural pearl.

Cultured Pearls - Still Mother Nature's Miracle

We have already spoken about both the extreme rarity of natural pearls as well the technological innovation that changed the pearl market forever. For these reasons, the pearl market today is a cultured pearl market. Although today we can control more than ever before, don't make the mistake of thinking that a cultured pearl is not still a gift from Mother Nature. Even using the best methods, a gem quality cultured pearl is still a rarity. In fact, only less than 10% of implanted mollusks bear marketable pearls, let alone the exquisite pearls we all desire.

The beauty of the cultured pearl is that it brings the special allure of the pearl to a new market: the rest of us. Before only seen on the crowns and necks of kings and queens, the beauty of cultured pearls can be enjoyed by a much wider audience. Still the ultimate in style and elegance, wearing cultured pearls will make you feel like royalty.

Human and Mother Nature - Working Together

The process or producing a gem quality cultured pearl is a long and time-consuming process. Scientists need to determine which oysters are most likely to produce the desired pearls and then cultivate them. These oysters must be nurtured and cared for all through the process to ensure the highest chance of success. The process is long and there are many failures but the prize for success is stunning.

1 - IMPLANTATION

The most significant human involvement in the production of a cultured pearl is during the implantation of the nucleus. In a cultured pearl, a nucleus is surgically implanted to start the process. For round pearls, this nucleus is usually made of a round bead and a piece of mother of pearl, also called mantle tissue. The mantle tissue helps the oyster start producing nacre, which in turn envelopes the bead and over time creates what we treasure as a fine pearl. The surgical procedure is delicate and must be done by a highly skilled technician. Many oysters do not survive the implantation procedure, demonstrating that we still cannot control the fate of nature.

Unlike natural pearls, the size of a cultured pearl is somehow determined by the size of the implanted nucleus. A large natural pearl is primarily nacre while a large cultured pearl will likely have a large nucleus. There is one exception though. A freshwater cultured pearl is essentially all nacre, because the process used to produce freshwater pearls doesn't require a shell nucleus, only mantle tissue is used. Despite this, high quality, large cultured pearls are still of the rarest gifts of nature and are valued highly all over the world.

2 - RETURNED TO THE SEA

After implantation, the oysters are returned to the sea and Mother Nature takes over. To produce a fine pearl, a cultivation period of at least 2 to 3 years is needed. The longer the cultivation period, the larger the pearl will be but the chances of faults also grows exponentially. A large flawless pearl with thick nacre has beaten enormous odds and will be valued as such.

Although not as crucial as in the implantation process, the hand of man also plays a part after the oyster has been returned to the sea. Oysters receive constant attention, ensuring that they have both the best conditions and also that they are free of dangerous parasites. When water temperature and conditions are not ideal, oysters are moved into either deeper or shallower waters where the bearing conditions are better. Oysters are periodically cleaned of seaweed and barnacles to survive the tough conditions of the sea.

3 - HARVEST

The product of all the hard work is reaped during the harvest process. Those oysters that have survived the typhoons, rains, and predators will be taken from the sea and opened up to reveal their treasure. If lucky, 10% of these oysters will be marketable, while an even smaller percentage will be truly special.