Should You Buy Cultured or Natural Pearls?

One question which comes up often about pearls concerns the difference in value and appearance between cultured and natural pearls. Before we discuss value, it is important to understand the real difference between the two.

A natural pearl occurs as a random act of nature. A tiny irritant, commonly sand, gets inside the oyster or mollusk which results in the creation of a pearl. While many oysters will have a pearl inside of them, it is very rare to find one with a large and properly shaped pearl. It is often estimated that out of every 100 oysters harvested it might produce only 3 high quality pearls.

Cultured pearls are farmed under controlled conditions. The irritant is carefully placed in the oyster or mollusk to increase the odds of a perfectly formed pearl. You do not have the unneeded destruction of hundreds of oysters in the search of a handful of pearls.

There is another significant difference which causes natural pearls to sometimes have higher value. Natural pearls commonly have thicker nacre. The increased thickness of this pearly substance produces high iridescence which is a prized trait of pearls.

Which type of pearl should you select? In most cases you will be just as happy with the cultured pearls. Their beauty is just as high and the cost can be much lower. A natural pearl of equal size a quality can be several times more expensive due to rarity.

Whether or not pearls are cultured or natural does not affect the other scoring criteria for setting the value of pearls. Cultured pearls can be round, oblong, button shaped, or even baroque. A cultured pearl can have defects in the surface just like a natural pearl. The biggest difference comes down to the controlled process and environment which produces high quality pearls more consistently than nature.

To get a better idea of the differences you should stop by a local Mastoloni retailer and ask to see a variety of pearl jewelry. Have the experts explain to you the subtle differences and point out the tiny flaws which help determine value. With their assistance you will quickly be able to determine a quality piece of pearl jewelry featuring either natural or cultured pearls with ease.

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