How can you tell if Pearls are real?

When you're shopping for jewelry, chances are you've come across several different types of pearls. Natural, cultured, mother of pearl, imitation pearl, baroque, saltwater versus freshwater-- it can get confusing , fast! All pearls may look similar at first glance, but they can differ dramatically in origin, color, size, shape, luster, and price.

At Starfish Project, we work with several types of pearls to create our beautifully crafted fair trade jewelry. Let's learn about some of the unique types of pearls and which ones you'll find in our products at Starfish Project. 

Natural versus cultured pearls:

Natural pearls are extremely rare. They form with no human involvement, and are very expensive due to their rarity.

Cultured pearls grow similarly to natural pearls, but they are 'human seeded', meaning a pearl farmer introduces a nucleus into a mollusk which forms a layer of nacre, or pearl substance around it. They are real pearls, grown with human assistance.

Saltwater versus freshwater pearls

Freshwater pearls are cultivated in mussels, typically in fresh water lakes, rivers, and ponds. A single mussel can produce multiple pearls at once, which makes freshwater pearls more common and generally more affordable. We use this type in the Harmony Pearl Cluster Necklace.

Saltwater pearls are cultivated in oysters that live in the ocean. Each oyster typically produces one pearl at a time, although some types can produce multiples. Because they take more time and resources to cultivate, saltwater pearls are usually more expensive.

So, what is Mother of Pearl?

Mother of pearl is a little different from an actual pearl itself. It’s the iridescent inner layer of a mollusk’s shell—the same material called nacre that gives pearls their beautiful, shimmering appearance. Mother of pearl has that distinctive rainbow-like, luminous shimmer because of the way light interacts with its extremely thin layers of nacre. Depending on the type of shell, it can appear white, cream, pink, gray, green, or even have colorful iridescence. 

See the Journey Together Necklace set, the Faith Reversible Cross Bar Necklace, and other gorgeous mother of pearl pieces  in the Luxe collection. 

And Baroque Pearls? What are those?

Baroque pearls are pearls with an irregular, non-round shape. Unlike the perfectly symmetrical round pearls, baroque pearls can be oval, elongated, flattened, teardrop-shaped, or uniquely organic and uneven.

Importantly, “baroque” describes the shape, not where the pearl comes from. You can have freshwater baroque pearls as well as saltwater baroque pearls.

See the Everlight Pearl Strand Necklace 

So in reality, there are many different types of pearls that you could consider 'real' meaning that they are naturally occurring or grown with human assistance. Whatever type of pearl you like best, the jewelry from Starfish Project directly impacts survivors of human trafficking rebuilding their lives and growing careers after exploitation. Shop now to further our mission and spread joy through thoughtful gifting experiences. 

Author: Brynn Good-Wilson

Brynn is the Sales Director at Starfish Project, where she has spent the past two years helping grow a business that creates meaningful opportunities for survivors of human trafficking in Asia. She loves Starfish Project because it creates a beautiful intersection of modern business and genuinely impactful social change. Seeing survivors become equipped to make beautiful futures inspires her to do her best work every single day. Originally from southeastern Michigan and now based in Austin, Texas, Brynn loves traveling with her husband and their Chihuahua, Penny, and is always looking forward to the next new experience life has to offer.