Pearls are made by marine oysters and freshwater mussels as a natural defence against an irritant such as a parasite entering their shell or damage to their fragile body. The oyster or mussel slowly ...

Pearls within a pearl oyster shell. Pearl oysters are important products in Japan, as they produce beautiful pearls that are sought after for necklaces, earrings, and rings. Disclaimer ...

The famous 18th Century writer Jonathan Swift once wrote: ‘He was a bold man that first ate an oyster ... to get his hands on our freshwater pearls is thought to have been his motivation ...