Discover more about the differences between natural and cultured pearls in this article.

Q: What are cultured pearls?

A: Cultured pearls are pearls that form in saltwater or freshwater after an irritant, such as shell bead nucleus, is inserted into the oyster shell by a pearl farmer. From there, the layers of nacre are formed naturally, just like with natural pearls.

Q: What's the difference between natural pearl and cultured pearl?

A: Both natural and cultured pearls are formed when an irritant enters the mollusk or oyster, causing it to respond to the irritant.

The main difference between natural and cultured pearl is the way the secretion process begins. With natural pearls, the process takes place in the ocean without any human intervention whereas cultured pearls require the assistance of pearl farmers to begin the nacre-forming process.

Q: How is the cultured pearls quality?

A: Because cultured pearls are created in controlled environments, the survival rates of the oyster are much higher. This allows pearl farmers to produce high-quality pearls.
Rest assured that we only source pearls with great quality only.

Q: Are cultured pearls real?

A: While culturing pearls is different from the formation of natural pearls. Cultured pearls are consider real pearls, grown in either freshwater or saltwater. They form when an irritant is inserted into an oyster shell. Once the irritant is there, layers of nacre form over the irritant to create the pearl. The process of culturing pearls is monitored by a pearl farmer—helping to keep the animal alive and allowing for high-quality pearls to form.

Natural Pearls vs Cultured Pearls