Pearls are the oldest gems discovered by humans and the only ones formed inside a living creature. When an irritant (e.g. piece of shell), finds its way into a mollusk, it immediately starts coating it with layers of a hard and iridescent substance called ‘nacre’ as a defense mechanism. Over time, these layers grow into a pearl.
Pearls are literally natural beauties…. formed thru transforming adversity.
Akoya pearls have the brightest luster of any pearl in the world because they have the highest nacre thickness of any pearl. They grow in relatively cool ocean temperatures, causing the nacre to form slower, resulting in more compact layers and intense luster. Akoya oysters are a diminishing resource, affected by rising ocean temperatures/climate change.