Birth of a Pearl
Creating pearls is a fascinating process that requires much time and dedication. The oyster bed is a natural habitat that must be painstakingly nurtured before a pearl can even be conceived. The cultivation process begins with a core. In natural pearls, this is simply a fragment of shell, fishbone or sand that floats into the shell of pearl oyster. To protect itself
from this irritant, the oyster secretes thousands of layers of nacre, forming a pearl. In 1893, after years of painstaking efforts, Kokichi Mikimoto succeeded in duplicating this natural process by implanting a nucleus (core). The method he developed is still used by Mikimoto today to form beautiful, lustrous pearls.
How to Buy Pearls
Pearl Art & Science
The Romance of Pearls
Caring for Pearls
