How are pearls obtained in nature?

Gemstones must be ground, polished, and cut to become jewelry, but the beauty of pearls is created by nature itself. An interesting fact: the oyster itself does not need a pearl. It forms it by fighting a foreign body that accidentally gets under the sink. In nature, this is most often the larva of a parasite. The mollusk fights the irritant by enveloping it in an even layer of a solid crystalline substance – mother-of-pearl – in order to neutralize the activity of the parasite. The longer a pearl stays in the oyster’s body, the thicker the layer of nacre that forms around it. So, in a few months or even years, a shiny spherical gem – a pearl – is obtained. The mother-of-pearl shell consists of microscopic crystals of calcium carbonate that refract light in such a way that it forms a rainbow on the surface. By the way, it is incorrect to call pearls obtained on a “farm” artificial. It would be more correct to call it cultivated. Such pearls have the same properties as natural ones, and the process of their formation does not differ from natural ones. A person only slightly interferes with the process by placing an irritating factor “seed” inside the shell. Most often this is a piece of ground shell or a fragment of the soft body of another oyster, which also consists of mother-of-pearl. The process of growing an oyster lasts several years. After this, the shells are opened and the ripe pearls are removed. This is the end of the mollusk’s life. Each oyster is capable of growing several pearls at once. Pearl farming has been practiced since the 13th century, when the Chinese discovered that foreign bodies placed inside the shells of freshwater mollusks were covered with a layer of mother-of-pearl. Although freshwater pearls are virtually identical to saltwater pearls and have the same excellent luster, the differences in culture are quite large. The first difference is that freshwater pearls are grown by mussels rather than oysters, as is the case with saltwater pearls. The relatively low cost of freshwater pearls is explained by the fact that a river oyster is much larger than a sea oyster and can simultaneously grow up to 30 pearls, while a sea or ocean oyster can grow one. Freshwater pearls have more nacre, so they are beautiful and shiny, and, despite their relative cheapness, are brighter than sea pearls. By the way, pearls are quite edible and even good for health due to the calcium they contain. In the form of a dietary supplement, pearl powder is an essential source of calcium for strengthening bones, calming the nervous system, and enhancing immunity. It is also used in cosmetics.

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November 29, 2022 The popularity of jewelry with pearls is very high – so much so that natural reserves are simply not enough. To meet the demand, synthetic and cultured pearls were introduced into the pearl market. Jewelry with natural pearls is still on sale, but their price is high: natural pearls grow slowly.

In which shells are pearls formed?

Not all mollusks can create pearls. Those that are capable of this are called pearl mussels. They can be freshwater or marine, and freshwater ones are more “fruitful”: one shell can contain several mother-of-pearl balls at once. But sea pearls are larger.
The shape of the future precious ball depends on where the foreign body hits. If a grain of sand manages to get into the mantle of a mollusk, you can count on a ball of the correct shape. Pearls formed near the surface of the shell or in the muscles are irregular in shape. There are specimens of button, pear-shaped, semicircular shape and there are shapeless pearls.

How do natural pearls appear in a shell?

To initiate the formation of a pearl, a foreign body must enter the mollusk shell – for example, a grain of sand or the larva of a small insect. The mollusk will instantly react to the “guest”: the inner surface of the shell is lined with the mollusk’s mantle with many sensitive nerve endings. The body of the mollusk is delicate; any stranger in the shell causes him discomfort. The mollusk begins to secrete nacre, envelops the rough grain of sand, and a miniature pearl grain with a smooth surface is obtained. Over time, this tiny pearl can become a big pearl. A pearl is the result of a mollusk’s self-defense. The mollusk cannot get rid of the uninvited guest who has entered the shell, so it begins to defend itself with the help of mother-of-pearl. The release of pearlescent composition is a reaction to a potential threat.

How do pearls grow in a shell?

Gradually, the mollusk builds up a layer of nacre on the pearl, and it becomes larger. The growth rate depends on the type of shell and its age, habitat (fresh water or salt sea water), and environmental conditions. For example, the largest specimens mature in young pearl oysters, while “older” shells can only form small balls of nacre, as their mantle depletes with age. Sea mollusks create the largest pearls – river pearls are half the size, but there can be several of them in one shell.
There is a core in almost every mother-of-pearl bead, most often it is a grain of sand or some kind of parasite. But sometimes the core cannot be detected; in this case, the impetus for the formation of the pearl could be a gas bubble or a piece of tissue from the mollusk itself (as the nacreous layer grows, the tissue decomposes).
The color of a pearl depends on how light was distributed on the nacre during its growth. Natural pearls can be white and pink, blue and green, beige and gray, black.

How to get pearls from shells

Finding pearl oysters is a real profession; some people devote their entire lives to this craft. The process of searching for pearl mussels is labor-intensive and dangerous: divers have to dive to great depths to retrieve shells from the seabed.
You can never predict in advance whether a pearl in a shell is large or small, round or imperfectly shaped, or whether it is there at all. The found pearl oysters are opened, at which point the growth of the pearl (if it is there) stops. In 100 shellfish shells you can find up to 10 good quality pearls, the rest, unfortunately, is waste.

The extraction of natural pearls is a strong blow to nature. Just imagine – you need to kill up to 100 shellfish or even more to find 1 or 5 pearls. Caring for nature and the marine ecosystem is one of the reasons why people choose cultured or cultured pearls.