Pearls are one of three birthstones for the month of June, an organic gemstone formed by nature.

Finding naturally occurring pearls can be difficult and dangerous, so pearl farming has become a much more common way to produce pearls for jewelry and other applications.

In this article, we’ll dive into the details of pearl farming and how pearls are formed rather than found.

What is Pearl Farming?

Pearl farming is the process of cultivating pearls in mollusks — most commonly pearl oysters or freshwater mussels.

Pearl farming has been performed for centuries, and most of the pearls available for purchase commercially have been farmed.

How is Pearl Farming Performed?

There are a few different methods of pearl farming, but before we explain them, let’s take a quick look at exactly how pearls are formed in the first place.

In nature, pearls are formed inside the shell of a mollusk as the animal’s protective response to an irritant.

So when a parasite — or a small piece of debris, such as a grain of sand — enter’s the mollusk’s shell, the animal tries to protect itself by secreting a substance called “nacre,” which it uses to coat the invader.

The nacre covers the irritant layer by layer, eventually creating a bead-like substance that we know as pearls.

To replicate and expedite this process, pearl farmers generally turn to one of two methods for producing pearls.

Nucleus Farming

The first method of pearl farming is called nucleus farming, which involves inserting a small piece of shell into the oyster.

The oyster will then secrete nacre around this nucleus, eventually forming a pearl.

Bead Grafting

The second method of pearl farming is bead grafting, which is similar to nucleus farming but instead of using a piece of shell, a small bead made from mother-of-pearl is used as the nucleus.

Bead grafting is considered the more efficient method of pearl farming, as it has a higher success rate and produces larger pearls.

However, both methods produce real pearls that are indistinguishable from naturally-occurring pearls.

Where Can Pearls be Farmed?

Pearl farming can be performed in both saltwater and freshwater bodies of water.

Saltwater pearl farms are usually located in warm climates, such as Australia, Japan, Tahiti, and the Philippines.

Freshwater pearl farms can be found in a variety of locations, including China, the United States, and Scotland.

How Long Does it Take to Produce a Pearl?

While pearl farming is an alternative to hunting naturally occurring pearls that is considered far safer and more efficient, it can still take time.

First, the pearl oysters or mussels must be raised in captivity until they reach maturity — somewhere between 3 and 5 years.

Only then can the pearl farmer insert the irritant that will trigger pearl production.

And once the irritant is inserted, producing the pearl can take many months or even years, depending on type and size.

Once the pearl has been harvested, it must be cleaned and polished before it can be sold. This is a delicate process that must be done carefully in order to avoid damaging the pearl.

Conclusion

Here are some of the key takeaways from this article:

• Pearl farming is safer than hunting for pearls in the wild, but the process still requires plenty of patience, skill, and attention to detail.
• The vast majority of pearls that are on sale today are cultured pearls, produced in pearl farming operations with human intervention.
• The mollusks used in pearl farms must be carefully nurtured in order to produce pearls.
• Pearl farming has been around for thousands of years!