As is mentioned on our welcome page, almost all pearl necklaces are considered to be “cultured” because of how the pearls were grown and obtained.  To be technical, the definition of a cultured pearl necklace is one where the pearls are created with human help.  This usually occurs in a pearl farm where oysters are “inseminated” with a bit of calcium and then placed back into either fresh or saltwater until the pearl grows.  Because of other treatments and specific breeding, the pearl farmer can almost guarantee a large majority of his crop being harvested as perfect circles, which are the most common shape requested for commercial purposes.  Depending on the size of pearl desired, the farm oysters are allowed to grow the pearl anywhere from a year to three years.  Using farm pearls is almost required by today’s buying public due to the disdain for uneven, or slightly alternate color pieces.  This is especially true for a pearl choker necklace and a floating pearl necklace.

Beginning in the early 1900’s, pearl farming began in earnest near the city of Kyoto in Japan.  There pearl farmers would use the oysters native to Lake Biwa to produce tons of pearls annually.  To this day some people in the Far East will use the term “Biwa Pearls” to mean pearls that come from freshwater.  Production of pearls at Lake Biwa peaked in 1971, and dropped significantly after that.  Most people in the region agree that pollution of Lake Biwa is what led to an almost complete extinction of oysters there.  Recently there has been hope of resurrecting the Japanese pearl farming industry by transplanting oysters in Lake Kasumigaura, but once again pollution levels may put an end to this goal.  Today the country of China is the world’s largest producer of cultured pearls after many Japanese businessmen invested in the building of pearl farms near the metropolis of Shanghai.

When it comes to the best quality cultured pearl necklaces in the United States, there are several places to turn.  Most people will buy from upscale retailers such as Tiffany & Co, or Mikimoto.  You can also locate high-quality pearl necklaces online through companies such as American Pearl.  As with all major purchases, we strongly recommend you get several references before trusting your money with an online only company.

You may also be able to find cultured pearl necklaces from larger mainline retailers such as Nordstrom and Macy’s.  In writing this article we were able to find a Mastoloni Tahitian Pearl Pendant Necklace at Nordstrom for fewer than seven-hundred dollars.  The piece is also topped with diamonds and 18-karat white gold.  While browsing the fine jewelry department at our local Macy’s we were able to find a very nice Cultured Akoya Pearl Necklace, 8.5mm with 14k gold clasp, for an even twenty-five hundred dollars.

As you can tell, there are several different factors involved when someone says “cultured pearl necklace.”  Make sure you do the research and learn about it before you buy.  And if you can afford it, an Akoya pearl necklace is a wonderful addition to any fine jewelry collection.  You will also be able to find discounted black pearl necklaces with online resarch.