Few other gems have captured the hearts and minds of mankind so dramatically. Few have shaped the culture of our world as we have known it today. It's no wonder that the gems of the sea have woven such an intricate pattern into the our lives. In the ancient world pearls with over 1000 different species of pearl bearing oysters were found on every continent in the globe, but today due to our ravenous appetite for these treasures of the sea only a handful exist. How a Pearl is born.
Pearl producing oysters are simple creatures.
Occasionally, a grain of sand or a parasite will lodge itself inside the soft inner body of oyster, causing its host great discomfort. Unable to expel the intruder, the oyster engages a defense mechanism within its body to protect itself from the intruder. The oyster begins to secrete a smooth, had crystalline substance around the intruder in order to protect itself. This substance is Calcium Carbonate based and is commonly referred to as nacre. The oyster will continue to deposit nacre around it, layer upon layer.