Why cultured and not natural pearls?
Natural pearls are really accidents of nature. They are formed when an irritant (perhaps a parasite) becomes lodged in the tissue of a mollusc. It responds by secreting nacre to surround the irritant and protect itself, thus forming a natural pearl. Natural pearls are extremely rare and, thus, very expensive. In April of 2007 a double strand of 68 perfect natural pearls known as the “Baroda Pearls” was auctioned at Christie’s Auction House for $7 million USD. Cultured pearls now make up nearly 100 % of the pearls in today’s market. Modern pearl farms can produce consistently high quality pearls in large quantities, making them much more affordable.
