Pearl. FAQ

A pearl is a hard, rounded object produced by certain animals, primarily mollusks such as pearl oysters. Pearls can be used in jewelry and also crushed in cosmetics or paint formulations. Pearl is valued as a gemstone and is cultivated or harvested for jewelry.

Saltwater pearls are found in oysters in parts of the oceans and other bodies of saltwater around the world. The most well know places are the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Burma in South East Asia. Other well known pearl growing areas are near the Arabian Sea in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and near Sri Lanka. Tahiti pearls are the largest pearls, they are found in the South Pacific (Australia and Tahiti). Here you will also find the beautiful black pearls. Akoya pearls are the smaller saltwater pearls, which traditionally have been associated with Japan but which can be found many other places in Asia.

Freshwater pearls are found growing in mussels living in lakes and streams all over the world including the USA and Europe. These pearls tend to be less expensive than saltwater pearls even in the same size and color. Biwa pearls are the best known, and probably the best quality as well as the most expensive freshwater pearls, they are cultivated in Lake Biwa in Japan. Due to pollution, the production of authentic Biwa pearls has dropped sharply and many of the so called Biwa pearls you see actually come from many other places.

Cultured pearls are not a natural pearl. A tiny irritant like a bead, grain of sand, or a piece of mother of pearl from another mollusk can be inserted into the opening of an oyster or mollusk. It can take five to seven years to secrete enough nacre to cover this irritant to produce a jewelry quality pearl. You can see the saltwater pearl farm on Seram, Indonesia, on the picture.

Featured artist

Kerri Fuhr is a well known wearable art and glass artist, and jewelry designer from BC, Canada. On her web site you will find samples of her range of work from elegant earrings and pendants to elaborate necklaces and bracelets. She is now creating a new line of bejeweled aromatherapy vessels that are meant to be worn as pendants. They can be worn on a simple chain or used as a focal element within a more elaborate necklace design. All of her finished jewelry pieces are handcrafted using only the finest materials available. Visit Kerri Fuhr's web site!

Do you know?

The art of self adornment is as old as man. Beadwork is among the most ancient types of jewelry. Through the ages, beads have changed and improved, giving rise to improvements in beadwork techniques. Today beadwork is enjoying a renaissance, and continues to increase in popularity.

A bead is a small, decorative object that is pierced for threading or stringing. As an alternative to piercing, plastic beads may be molded onto a thread during manufacturing. Beads range in size from under a millimeter to over a centimeter or sometimes several centimeters in diameter. Glass, plastic, and stone are probably the most common materials, but beads are also made from bone, horn, ivory, metal, shell, pearl, coral, gemstones, polymer clay, metal clay, resin, synthetic minerals, wood, ceramic, fiber, paper, and seeds. Beadwork is the craft of making things with beads. Beads can be woven together with specialized thread, strung onto thread or wire, or adhered to a surface (e.g. fabric, clay).

A pair of beads made from Nassarius shells that are approximately 100,000 years old are thought to be the first known examples of jewelry. Read more about beads history: