How long does it take for an oyster to make a pearl?
Natural pearls take many years to develop. The larger the pearl the longer it takes. (A 3mm pearl will take about 5 years to form.) Their shapes are often irregular, from slightly off-spherical to bulging, twisting shapes known as baroque. In any shape, natural pearls are expensive and very rare. One might find a single natural pearl in every 10,000 oysters. http://www.servicemerchandise.com/cultivation.
