Women love pearls. There's no doubt about that. Pearls are probably the most popular gem among women all over the world. Well of course, there's diamonds but no one could resist a genuine pearl's beauty and charm. Yes, we all know pearls as a beautiful and one of a kind gem. But do we even have an idea how they are produced?
One characteristic that sets pearls apart from all the other gems is that it is the only gem in the world that is produced by a living organism. Most of the gems that we know are mined. Diamonds are mined and they are found on rocks. Rubies, emeralds and other gems are also mined. This is why pearls are really one of a kind. But how exactly does a pearl form inside an oyster? Here's how. When parasites or external elements such as sand or dirt comes in contact with the inner part of the oyster, a reaction occurs which coats the irritant with a pearly substance. It gets coated repetitively until it forms a pearl. And that is how pearls are naturally produced. On the other hand, cultured pearls also adapts the same process. However, humans place the irritant in the oyster. It's a forced process unlike the natural process.
Pearls take time to form naturally that is why naturally formed pearls are really rare and way more expensive than cultured ones. Knowing how pearls are produced could make us realize that producing pearls is a painstaking process and so we should really take care of it very well.