At a glance
| Water | Freshwater and saltwater |
|---|---|
| Mollusk | Oysters and mussels |
| Where | Worldwide |
| Typical size | About 2 to 16 mm |
| Shapes | Every shape |
| How it starts | A bead, a piece of tissue, or both, placed by a person |
| Growing time | Months to years |
Typical size range from GIA. See sizes at actual size.
A cultured pearl is a real pearl that a person helped start. Under the FTC's Jewelry Guides, it is made when a nucleus, usually a sphere of shell, is placed inside a mollusk or its mantle, and the mollusk then coats it with nacre (FTC, 16 CFR 23.19). Some cultured pearls start from a piece of tissue instead of a bead (GIA).
Cultured is not fake
An imitation pearl is a manufactured product, made of any material, that looks like a pearl (FTC). A cultured pearl grows in a living mollusk. The difference is like a garden tomato versus a plastic one, not a wild tomato versus a garden one.
A short history
Kokichi Mikimoto successfully cultured a pearl in Japan in 1893 (GIA). Overharvesting had already depleted natural pearl beds, and cultured pearls now dominate pearl sales (GIA).
The main cultured pearls
| Type | Water | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| Freshwater | Fresh | 6 to 12 mm |
| Akoya | Salt | 6 to 9 mm |
| Tahitian | Salt | 8 to 14 mm |
| South Sea | Salt | 8 to 18 mm |
Sizes from GIA. Cultured pearls overall range from about 2 to 16 mm (GIA).
The FTC's naming rule
Sellers must not call a cultured pearl simply a "pearl" without saying it is cultured. The FTC's Jewelry Guides cover the word "pearl," terms such as "cultured pearl," "natural," "real" and regional names, and the disclosure of treatments (16 CFR 23.20 to 23.23). See natural vs cultured pearls.
What people paid for cultured pearls
Real prices readers paid, not estimates. A figure appears only once at least 5 people have reported the same kind of piece, and we never show individual reports.
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Frequently asked questions
Are cultured pearls real?
Yes. They grow inside a living mollusk. A person starts the process by inserting a bead or tissue, and the mollusk builds the pearl from nacre.
When were cultured pearls invented?
GIA dates Kokichi Mikimoto's first successful cultured pearl to 1893, in Japan.
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Sources
Checked October 22, 2026. How we check our facts.