N early all high-quality pearls come from oysters. So where do these colors come from? Natural Pearls form when an irritant - usually a parasite and not the proverbial grain of sand - works its way into an oyster, mussel, or clam. Mollusks are fished either primarily for the pearls or for both the pearl and the shell (mother of pearl). Because of how rare they are, people have developed pearl farms to aid the natural process of producing more pearls than … Where do pearls came from? The Pinctada margaritifera oyster appears in the South Pacific. We asked James Peach to explain these different parts of the mollusk to us and show us where natural American freshwater pearls are formed. Pearl Description. Although pearl clams and mussels exist, they are incredibly rare . Nowadays, most freshwater pearls are cultivated overseas, especially in China. The Wild. Peals come in many shapes, sizes and colors and each of these factors affect how much they are worth. Today, freshwater pearls available on the market come primarily from China. The first category covers the beaded cultured pearls, including Akoya, South Sea, Tahiti and the large, modern freshwater pearl, the Edison pearl. Saltwater pearls, on the other hand, are found off the coast of Japan, French Polynesia, and Australia. Hi, I’m James Kyllonen founder of Kyllonen Luxury and I’m here to talk about where do pearls come from? Read on to find out. This limits the number of pearls at a harvest period. Mollusks such as oysters and mussels create pearls. As it happens, the use of pearls for decorative purposes in Egypt date back as far as 4000 BC (some ancient Egyptians were actually buried with them) even though their wide spread use didn’t take place. Cultured pearls come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. The most well known one was found in Patterson N.J. in 1857. It’s entirely possible to find a pearl in the wild. Pearls are formed around a tiny piece of material such as sand, dirt, rock, or in artificial pearls, a tiny ball that is inserted. Sea oysters normally are cultured to grow only one pearl...these are freshwater mussels, which can produce several cultured pearls at … How Do Mollusks Make Pearls? But pearls are formed in different areas INSIDE these mollusks. Pearls tend to be like the shells that produce them in luster and iridescence. Where do Pearls Come From? Where do pearls come from...from mussels like this which have been implanted with mantle tissue to start the pearl growing process. In freshwater rivers and ponds, mussels produce pearls, while in saltwater they are produced by oysters. The most familiar colors are white and cream (a light yellowish brown). They are a naturally occurring phenomenon, but they’re hard to find. I know that these pearls come from Tahiti but they come from other places as well but I can't remember where. The pretty round pearls form in the beak of the mussel. The pearls of the Persian Gulf were natural created and collected by … Pearls are gemstones, but unlike diamonds or rubies which form in the ground, they form inside of the shell of mollusks like clams or oysters. Back in the 1800’s many freshwater pearls were discovered in US Rivers. Perhaps the best-loved gems of all time, pearls—both natural and modern cultured pearls—occur in a wide variety of colors. Further Reading: Pearl Colors - ULTIMA Pearl color is a key factor to understand when buying pearls. Pearls come in a rainbow of natural color from classic white to black to blue and even violet! The Birth of a Pearl Oysters make pearls in response to an irritant, such as a grain of sand or another object. Farming vs. HOW PEARLS ARE FORMED: There are essentially three types of pearls: natural, cultured and imitation. These pearls are gonad-grown, and usually one pearl is grown at a time. Pearls are truly one-of-a-kind, especially when you consider that they are the only gemstones to come from a living creature. Historically, most black pearls came from Tahiti, and they are therefore known as Tahitian black pearls. They can form in both saltwater and freshwater mollusk varieties. where pearls come from: Historically, the world's best pearls came from the Persian Gulf, especially around what is now Bahrain. As a defense mechanism, … In freshwater rivers and ponds, mussels produce pearls, while in saltwater they are produced by oysters. Pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a bit of food, a grain of sand, bacteria, or even a piece of the mollusk's mantle becomes trapped in the mollusk. So, where do these beautiful gemstones come from? ; although it conceded that these were deficient in luster, which is recognized as the characteristic feature of pearls. The Margaritiferae family of mollusks is found predominantly in tropical waters and this is where the majority of the pearls on the market come from. Answer. Now you might already know they come from oysters, so we are going to get into more specifics. The Raganighantu of Narahari, a Kashmir physician of about 1240 A.D., reported pearls as coming form bamboos, coconuts, heads of elephants, bears, serpents, whales, fish, etc.