Natural pearls are pearls that are formed in molluscs or sea snails without human interference. Natural pearls grow randomly and by nature’s own course.
Mollusc or sea snails protect themselves from irritations such as parasites and isolate it in a calcium carbonate coating to prevent further damage. Over a period of time, this build-up of the coating forms a natural pearl.
Some sea snails form pearls without the mother of pearl layer which characterizes most pearl types. These pearls are the so-called “non-nacrous pearls”. Examples of these kinds of pearls are the conch pearl and the melo melo pearl. An example of a non-nacrous pearl that grows in a bivalved mollusc is the clamshell pearl.
Natural Pearls are highly desired because of their rarity. They are mostly found in older jewellery and their popularity is making a comeback.