One of the biggest confusions about Pearls, seems to be in regards to the terms "Cultured" and "Freshwater." Many times we are asked whether a strand is either Cultured or Freshwater. In reality, the question should be, "Are the Pearls Cultured of Natural?" -or- "Are the Pearls Saltwater or Freshwater?" The term Cultured refers only to how a pearl is started-with help- and Natural describes a pearl that began all on its own. the terms Salt or Freshwater refer merely to the locale of the different varieties of pearl-producing mollusks. (Mollusks that live in saltwater oceans produce saltwater pearls. Mollusks that live in the fresh waters of ponds and lakes produce freshwater pearls.)Freshwater pearls tend to have a more irregular shape, whereas Saltwater pearls are more round. Both saltwater pearls and freshwater pearls can be produced naturally or can be cultured.
Natural pearls are created without any human help, and these are the rarest type of pearls. According to the American Museum of Natural History, only one in 10,000 mollusks will naturally produce a pearl. Natural pearls come in many shapes, sizes and colors, but since naturally occurring pearls are so rare, most pearls that are sold in stores are cultured pearls.
Cultured pearls are formed with human help. Since Natural Pearls form when an irritant gets caught in the tissue of a mollusk, cultured Pearls are created when the irritant is purposefully inserted. The rest of the process remains up to the mollusk!
Saltwater Pearls tend to be larger, rounder, and have better luster, so they are more sought after. The most famous of these are Tahitian, or Golden South Sea Pearls. Since Freshwater mollusks are able to form several pearls at the same time, these pearls are less expensive than saltwater pearls.
Natural pearls are created without any human help, and these are the rarest type of pearls. According to the American Museum of Natural History, only one in 10,000 mollusks will naturally produce a pearl. Natural pearls come in many shapes, sizes and colors, but since naturally occurring pearls are so rare, most pearls that are sold in stores are cultured pearls.
Cultured pearls are formed with human help. Since Natural Pearls form when an irritant gets caught in the tissue of a mollusk, cultured Pearls are created when the irritant is purposefully inserted. The rest of the process remains up to the mollusk!
Saltwater Pearls tend to be larger, rounder, and have better luster, so they are more sought after. The most famous of these are Tahitian, or Golden South Sea Pearls. Since Freshwater mollusks are able to form several pearls at the same time, these pearls are less expensive than saltwater pearls.
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