January 17th, 2010
The Sand Myth
It is a commonly held belief that pearls are made when oysters “swallow” a piece of sand. While this can cause the pearl creation process, it is actually very rare. Most natural pearls occur in response to an invading parasite, bacteria, or other little critter. Broken pieces of shell inside the mollusks can even kick start the process. Which leads to how cultured pearls are created. Very rarely is sand used in this process. Usually a piece of shell, or even a smaller “starter” pearl, is used as the irritant. These are more consistent in starting the process, and also in creating rounder pearls appropriate for Pearl Necklaces. So while sand is occasionally used, it’s the exception not the rule.
