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Cultured Pearl

A cultured pearl is one that was created with assistance from man. Natural pearls occur without any intervention, and are extremely rare. Not only are they rare, they are often odd shapes and very few of them are gem quality.

When a pearl is cultured, it is much more likely to have a nice shape and quality. Thousands of cultured pearls are produced each year, but even a small percentage of these are considered to be truly exceptional. Only about 50% of the cultured pearls created can be used for jewelry, and only about 10% of these are considered to be high-quality.

While the idea of a cultured pearl may not be that appealing to people at first, they have become the standard of the pearl industry. Having natural pearls is important to some people, but approximately 99% of pearls sold each year are cultured. Natural pearls are so rare that they fetch huge price tags.

 

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