Pearl Cultivation

Pearls are a rare gift from Mother Nature when one considers the factors involved in cultivating a single pearl.  In order for a pearl to form, the emerging gem must withstand uncontrollable weather and environmental effects, grow and develop inside a living organism, and patiently endure years submerged underwater. Despite meticulous attention to the many variables, only a small percentage of harvested oysters will produce pearls with the quality demanded by top jewelry makers. 

Harvesting Young Oysters
In order to cultivate pearls, pearl farms require a steady supply of young oysters which are either found in the wild or harvested.  Pearl farmers place the oysters in protective containers where they can grow free from predators.  Once they reach a certain size, the oysters are placed into individual net pockets which hang under the sea where they continue to grow. 

Inserting the Nucleus
Once the oysters have grown to the proper size they are collected, cleaned, and prepared to be implanted with a nucleus.  The nucleus is a round polished ball made out of the shell of freshwater mussels usually found in the Mississippi River.  The oyster is opened gently and an incision is made where the nucleus is inserted.  Surgical precision is required to avoid harming the oyster.  A piece of mantle tissue taken from the lip of another oyster is placed next to the inserted nucleus to help stimulate the secretion of nacre. Nacre is the creamy, crystalline substance which the oyster secretes to protect itself from foreign debris.  The nacre that hardens around the nucleus (or other foreign object) is what eventually forms a pearl. 

Harvesting Pearls
The oysters are placed back into the ocean where they are left to grow for 2-3 years. During this time, the oysters are carefully maintained.  The water is monitored daily for quality, temperature, and nutrient content and the oysters are regularly cleaned to prevent the growth of algae and other marine life that might interfere with the oyster’s feeding and growth. 

Reaping the Harvest
When the time has come, the oyster is removed from the water and the pearl is extracted and graded. Another nucleus may be inserted to repeat the process, depending on the type of oyster. Some oysters produce two to three pearls before they are returned to the water to breed.  Others only produce one pearl*. The oyster types that can be re-nucleated are usually nucleated with a nucleus the size of the pearl being taken out, allowing for a new, larger pearl to be formed. 
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*Unlike saltwater pearls, freshwater pearls can be created with up to 30 “seeds” inserted at a time in a single clam, but their shape is usually irregular and the quality of the nacre is arguably inferior.

      Pearl Fact

• In natural pearls, the nacre forms around a naturally-occurring irritant in the oyster, such as a speck of sand or a parasite that is lodged in the oyster, rather than an inserted nucleus. This is the only difference between how a cultivated and natural pearl is formed.