Research on pearls- can anyone help?

Nefertari

I have googled but the info is not clear.
Can pearls only be found in certain types of molluscs that inhabit warm water or can you find them anywhere?

heather

I don't know about anywhere, but you do get them in mussels in Scottish rivers, and I can't imagine that water is very warm!

Jenny

Is this site of any use? (I googled: where can pearls be found)

http://www.karipearls.com/where-do-natural-pearls-come-from.html

Carol

My knowledge of pearls is limited to the following...:)
Freshwater pearls tend to be those misshapen ones- always remind me of Rice Crispies.
I know they start from a small bit of grit or something.
They are kept at their best by wearing them so they come into contact with the skin's natural oils.
A real pearl is gritty if you rub it against your teeth.

Nefertari

Thanks.
I looked at the web site Jenny still a bit confused unless the sun has got to me today- so can you find expensive pearls in the English channel?

Liz

Pearls are mainly farmed - because you have to open an awful lot of them to find pearls which were of a size to use. They put a small 'seed' of mother of pearl into the case and leave them for 2-5 years that it takes the pearl to develop. They have 'beds' of the oysters in the sea around places like Tahiti, Japan, China.

I'm pretty sure that natural pearls occur mainly or exclusively in warm waters, whilst freshwater ones don't.

Natural ones are worth a lot more as a pearl with a good colour, size and shape are very rare. I think hardly any are sold nowadays.

Liz

Actually - Google 'pearl farming', I bet it gives more info.

shellw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mussel
hope that helps it shows where pearls grow, theres a map half way down the page coloured to show you where they grow