Pearls are a natural product, made by a living organism that retains some properties of that animal.

While everyone knows that pearls come from oysters and other shelled mollusks, not everyone knows about the industry that revolves around it.

After World War II, there arose a genius by the name of Mikimoto, who was able to solve the generations-long problem of how to force an oyster to make a pearl. While he was able to keep it a secret for decades, and was able to make a "cultured pearl" as respectable as an entirely natural one, the secret eventually got out.

Today, pearls are cultured in just about every environment imaginable, and are often a major source of income for the nations involved.

Pearls contain a small amount of water, but contrary to common belief, should not be kept in water!