It is a pearl which is being produced by implanting a shell bead or mantle tissue into the body of a pearl which bears mollusk. The leading cultured pearl producing countries in the world are Japan, China, Tahiti, Australia, the U.S., and the Persian Gulf.

Cultured pearls are pearls produced by oysters that have been surgically injected with bits of mussel shell. After 5-7 years, the oysters are retrieved and the pearls are harvested.

Pearls produced by artificially introducing a foreign object in many cases, a mother-of-pearl bead carved from a mussel shell) into the fleshy part of the oyster. The oyster forms a secretion around the object as a form of protection against the irritant and over time many iridescent layers of “nacre” are formed. Cultured pearls come in many different shapes and colors. Pearl is the birthstone for the month of June.

A pearl formed within a mollusk such as an Oyster. In a cultured pearl, a bead known as a nucleus is inserted into a mollusk to start the process that creates a pearl, and in nature a grain of sand or some other irritant that enters a mollusk starts the process that results in a natural Pearl. Layers of "nacre" are secreted by the mollusk as a natural reaction to a foreign body and are built up layer after layer. The length of time a pearl is allowed to grow and/or the size of the nucleus will determine the size of the pearl that will be harvested. Cultured pearls are cultivated on farms in fresh water or saltwater.

pearls that are grown in a controlled area. Grown so they will generally be the same size and color.

a pearl that was purposely developed through human intervention

A cultured pearl is made by a mollusk, but with human intervention. An irritant is introduced into the shell, which causes a pearl to grow.

Pearl that is intentionally grown by introducing an irritant or substrate inside the shell of a mollusc.

a pearl formed by an oyster, composed of concentric layers of a crystalline substance called nacre

a pearl that has grown in the mollusk as the result of human intervention

a pearl which is cultivated with some human assistance, by implanting a small nucleus in the host, being an oyster or mussel

a real pearl, however an oyster is farmed

a real pearl, made

a real pearl that grows due to humans placing a piece of shell, bead, or tissue inside the mollusk

a type of pearl induced and stimulated by man to grow inside a mollusk.

A pearl formed by a mollusk that has been "seeded" with a tiny grain of sand. Sensing the irritant, the mollusk secretes a substance called nacre, which coats the grain of sand in concentric layers, creating a pearl. Cultured pearls may originate in either salt water or fresh water.

A pearl that was seeded, or started, through human intervention.

A pearl that is formed with the assistance of a human, for example, inserting a bead and mantle tissue sample to stimulate the growth of a pearl within the mullosk.

Cultured pearls are generally white, but are produced in many colors including gold, yellow, champagne, pink, peach, lavender, grey and black. Because natural pearls are so rare and difficult to recover, cultured pearls are created by seeding mollusks with bits of shell or sand similar to the process occurring naturally. Dyes, irradiation and heat treatment are sometimes applied to produce a wide variety of hues in fresh water and cultured pearls. Pearls require special care as they are sensitive to chemicals and acids. Avoid perfume, hairspray, abrasives, solvents and nail polish remover. Store your pearls wrapped in a soft cloth or bag to avoid being scratched by other jewelry items.

Any pearl which is grown by a mollusk that contains either a hard bead nucleus or soft tissue nucleus at its center, which has been surgically implanted in a mollusk by human means.

Patented in 1916 by Kokichi Mikimoto, this is a process of cultivating pearls by artificially inserting a small irritant (like a small bead from mother-of-pearl) into an oyster or other bivalve mollusk.

A pearl grown in a mollusk that has been surgically implanted a hard bead nucleus or soft tissue nucleus at its center by human intervention. Due to the scarcity of natural pearls (approximately one in every 10,000 mollusks), most pearls today are cultured pearls.

Click Here to Search for Jewelry Using this Term Kokichi Mikimoto created the manufacturing method for pearls circa 1893, in which pearls are “cultured” or manufactured through human intervention. Duplicating the organic process of natural pearl creation, a tiny irritant like a bead, grain of sand, or a piece of tissue can be inserted into the opening of an oyster or mollusk. This irritant becomes the nucleus of a pearl once that mollusk secretes a lustrous substance (nacre) to cover the foreign body. An oyster or mollusk can take between five to seven years to secrete enough nacre to produce a jewelry quality pearl.

Created through a painstaking process of mimicking the natural pearl process in live mollusks. A pearl is formed as a result of implanting a piece of mantle from a mollusk into another host mollusk. (also see Fresh water Pearls)

Pearl whose formation is started by human intervention with the insertion a piece of mantle tissue into the oyster or mussel.

A cultured pearl is a pearl created by a pearl farmer under controlled conditions.