Which oysters make pearls

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Jennifer Kennedy, M. Updated August 29, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Kennedy, Jennifer. Mollusk Facts: Habitat, Behavior, Diet. What Is a Mantle in the Body of a Mollusk? Scallop Facts: Habitat, Behavior, Diet. Midden: An Archaeological Garbage Dump. Nautilus Facts: Habitat, Behavior, Diet. Animals of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Smart cookie preferences. Change cookie preferences Accept all cookies.

Skip to content. Quick question How do oysters make pearls? To protect itself, an oyster's natural reaction will be to cover up the irritant.

It does so by causing the mantle to cover the irritant with layers of nacre. This substance , usually used to create the shell, will instead form a pearl. The most beautiful pearls — the kind used for jewelry — are perfectly round. Not all pearls turn out this way, though. Some pearls form in uneven shapes. These less-than-perfect pearls are known as baroque pearls.

Most people think of pearls as being white. They can come in a variety of colors, though. Other common pearl colors include gray, red, blue, green and even black. Pearls that form naturally inside of oysters are called natural pearls. Sometimes oysters get a bit of help from pearl harvesters, though. These people open oysters, cut small slits in the mantle and insert small irritants under the mantle. The pearls produced by this method are called cultured pearls. Cultured and natural pearls are usually considered to be of equal quality.

Cultured pearls are often less expensive, though, because they're not as rare. While any oyster — and clams and mussels — can produce pearls, some species of oysters are more likely to produce pearls, while others may be harvested primarily to serve as food. Are you ready to learn more about pearls? Be sure to check out the following activities with a friend or family member:. Thanks for sharing your thoughts--and the WonderLove.

Hey, Geoff! Thanks for stopping by. We really appreciate you and your skills. Also, your search query was just fine Thanks for stopping by! Hi, Marilyn! Sorry for the confusion! No, not every oyster will have a pearl. This occurs only occasionally, and the reason why is mentioned in this Wonder:.

To protect itself, an oyster 's natural reaction will be to cover up the irritant. Hi, Donna! It may be a good idea to confirm with the specific department store if the oysters have pearls in them. We're glad you're our Wonder Friend!! Let us know if you get a pearl!! We like your question about pearls. Just like a diamond, we think that the worth of a pearl all depends on the size and quality of it.

You may want to check out this Wonder about diamonds. Enjoy, Wonder Friend! We think that sounds like quite a treasure! We're so glad to know that you learned all about the inside of an oyster, Annabella! Not all pearls cost the same amount of money, sometimes it depends on the size, weight, and look of the pearl itself. Usually larger pearls are more expensive, as are pearls of different colors. Some pearls are produced by oysters, as we learned today.

Other times, pearls are made in factories. Great Wonders, Annabella! We Wonder if you can do some research of your to find out how long it takes to form a pearl. We're very proud of you, Talia! Hey Wonder Friends Haylei and Remington! You did a great job of summarizing what you learned from our oyster Wonder!

Nice work! We're so glad you liked our pearl Wonder! Thank you for sharing your comment with us! We hope you will explore other Wonders and learn some cool new facts with us today! Thanks for spreading the Wonder about pearls, Cherry! We're glad you learned something new with us-- it's like a pearl of wisdom when we Wonder together!

Hi there, Wonder Friend Arleth! We're thrilled to hear that you learned something new today with us! Thanks for sharing your comment, Wondergirl11! Hooray, we're so happy that you liked today's Wonder, Berkleigh! You're a pearl of a Friend! Hi there, Wonder Friend Camdyn! Hi there, Grace! We have lots of Wonder Friends who take turns responding to Wonder comments!

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Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. Does every oyster have a pearl? What are cultured pearls? What are baroque pearls? Tags: See All Tags animals , baroque , clam , cultured , jewelry , mantle , mussel , nacre , natural , Oceans , oyster , pearl. Wonder What's Next? Go ahead and blink! Try It Out Are you ready to learn more about pearls?

Be sure to check out the following activities with a friend or family member: Ask an adult friend or family member to take you on a field trip to a local jewelry store. What are you looking for?

Pearls, of course! Ask to see a variety of different types of pearls. What quality are they? How expensive are they? Would you ever wear pearl jewelry? Why or why not? Are pearls always white? You might think so, if you've ever heard your teeth referred to as your "pearly whites. Visit National Geographic online to learn more about Black Pearls.