Pearls of a Different Color

While it is not surprising to find a pearl in a Pacific oyster, unfortunately they tend to be odd shaped and dull in color, not of the quality needed for making fine necklaces and other jewelry. Japanese pearl oysters, called akoyagai in Japan, are known the world over for production of cultured pearls. Also famous are the black pearls found in the black-lipped oyster, the Pinctada margaritafera of French Polynesia and the South Seas.

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