History of Cultured Pearls

• Japanese pearl researchers started culturing pearls in the late 19th century. Kokichi Mikimoto patented a technique for creating round pearls in 1916. Before this, both natural and cultured pearls came in varying shapes and sizes.
  
  

Reliable Production

• Mikimoto's technique allowed the cultured pearl industry, previously very risky, to become a reliable, consistent business.
  
  

Environmental Control

• Natural pearls form and grow in an uncontrolled environment. Pearl farmers who culture pearls insert the irritant and carefully regulate the environment of the pearl oysters to ensure a consistent, quality product.
  
  

Popularity

• Cultured pearls make up almost 100 percent of the pearl market. Pollution and overharvesting have ruined most natural pearl beds, although some apparently still exist in the Persian Gulf region.
  
  

Types of Cultured Pearls

• Types cultured pearls include the Akoya, South Sea, and Tahitian, depending on the location of their farms. Akoya pearls come from southern Japan, South Sea pearls from Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Japan. Tahitian pearls come from the central and south Pacific, mainly French Polynesia.
  
  

Testing Pearls

• Tests that can identify natural pearls include ultraviolet light, which will show color variations not present in cultured pearls, X-rays, and close examination with a fiber optic light, which can detect irregularly shaped orange spots present in cultured pearls.