Unlike all other precious gems, pearls are harvested from oysters rather than mined from the earth. There are two types of pearl: those that occur naturally (natural) and those cultivated by man (cultured).

Natural pearls start with an irritant — a grain of sand or a microscopic worm - that works its way into an oyster's shell. Cultured pearls are grown by carefully prying a live oyster open and seeding it with a nucleus. A surgical incision is made in the mantle of the oyster and a small bead is placed inside. Once the oyster closes its shell, the shellfish is returned to its lake or ocean bed where it will grow for several years as the pearl inside matures.    

The color of cultured pearls can range from rosy pink to Tahitian black. No one color is superior to any other, but demand and rarity of certain colors influences their cost. Rosy-pink pearls have long been in high demand, and as a result they often cost more than cream or golden colored pearls. South Seas black pearls are often highly prized and may retail for quite a bit more than the traditional pink AKOYA pearl.