Buying Pearls in Pakistan

Natural or real pearls are made mostly by oysters and mollusks. Cultured pearls sold in Pakistan also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials and have not much values.

Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pearls. A cultured pearl's value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which gives it luster. Jewelers in Pakistan should tell you if the pearls are cultured or imitation.

Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers in Pakistan should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated. link