Let us begin with a simple classification of pearls. There are natural pearls and cultured pearls. There are freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls. You may have heard of Tahitian pearls and other varieties. These are just variants of the aforementioned classifications. In a way, there is no difference between freshwater and cultured pearls. That is because there is no contradiction or conflict. They can be the same thing. But the original classification of pearls paves the way for some differences.
Difference Between Freshwater and Cultured Pearls
Let us begin with the fundamental difference between natural and cultured pearls as otherwise the difference would not be substantiated. Natural pearls occur without any human intervention. They can be called wild pearls. Such pearls are formed under natural circumstances, due to atmospheric and oceanic conditions. Natural pearls are found in the oceans, rivers and lakes. There is no predicting as to how long it would take for natural pearls to form. Once they are obtained from the wild, they are harvested and cleaned before making the jewelry.
Cultured pearls are manufactured. They are made in controlled scenarios that mimic the natural factors that lead to the formation of pearls. Cultured pearls can be mass produced but it is not an overnight process. Making cultured pearls can take anywhere from five years to ten years. Seven years is the average across the world. Cultured pearls are harvested, cleaned, bleached if needed and then made into jewelry.
Natural pearls are more expensive but cultured pearls are costly too. Now, both natural and cultured pearls can be found in freshwater or saltwater, ala rivers and lakes or seas and oceans respectively. Freshwater pearls found in lakes and rivers and natural freshwater pearls and freshwater pearls harvested in controlled environments are cultured pearls.
Both freshwater and cultured pearls can mean the same thing. Natural freshwater pearls and freshwater cultured pearls can have the same aesthetic qualities and may even have similar price range. However, natural freshwater pearls would be more iridescent. Cultured saltwater pearls may be more appealing than freshwater pearls because they are formed in oysters and not in mussels as is the case with the latter.
It must be noted that neither freshwater pearls nor cultured pearls are imitation pearls. While natural pearls are found in the wild, cultured pearls are just as good. They are not imitation pearls that are made from glass or plastic.
