He says that part of the reason the Marie Antoinette pearl is worth so much is because it's a natural pearl, which brings us to one quality that determines a pearl's value. Natural versus cultured.

The oyster’s response to these intruders is to encase them in nacre, leading to pearl formation. Natural pearls vary in size, with those exceeding 10 millimetres being rare and particularly ...

Long known as the "Queen of Gems," pearls possess a history and allure far beyond what today's wearer may recognize. Throughout much of recorded history, a natural pearl necklace comprised of ...

A great irony of pearl history is that the least expensive cultured pearl product in the market today rivals the quality of the most expensive natural pearls ever found. The price-value anomaly is ...

Pearls are made by marine oysters and freshwater mussels as a natural defence against an irritant such as a parasite entering their shell or damage to their fragile body. The oyster or mussel slowly ...