Pearl Farming
Cultured pearls can be farmed using two different groups of bivalve mollusk: the freshwater river mussels, and the saltwater pearl oysters. The most popular and effective method for creating cultured pearls are made from the shells of freshwater river mussels harvested in the midwestern states of the U.S. and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
But there is debate over if pearl farming is cruel or not. Cultured pearls are human creations formed by inserting a tissue graft from a donor mollusk, when a pearl sac forms, and the inner side releases calcium carbonate, in the form of nacre or "mother-of-pearl". Below you can see how pearls are made and how this is negative or positive for our environment and society.
Larvae float freely in water under controlled environments until they are a few weeks old. Over the next few months they develop into baby oysters and spend the next 1 to 2 years there until they are full grown. A pearl is formed when the mantle tissue is injured or another event that damages the outer rim of the shell of a mollusk shell bivalve. In response, the mantle tissue of the mollusk secretes nacre into the pearl sac then a cyst forms during the healing process. Chemically, this is the calcium carbonate and a fibrous protein called conchillion. As the nacre builds up in layers of tiny aragonite tablets, it fills the growing pearl sac and eventually forms a pearl. Artificially making pearls is a little different, after obtaining the mantle tissue from the first oyster it is time to work on the second animal. The oyster is placed in warm water to relax it, then it is gently pried open and mounted in a stand to be operated on. A small cut is made and the nucleus is inserted along with a small piece of mantle gland. The oyster is then placed back in the water and over several years the nucleus is coated with nacre. The nucleus is coated in many layers of this nacre so when pearls are cut in half, visible layers can be seen. Natural and cultured pearls' inner structure is different, this can be seen through the use of x-rays, which reveals the inner nucleus of the pearl. Colored Pearls are made when local chemicals are put inside the shell, inserting natural dyes into the mussel shell such as cobalt chloride to create a pinkish color. They also do this similarly to rubies and sapphires.
Pearl farming has benefits such as creating beautiful jewelry and creating a new industry for jobs. However there are also some negatives. Some environmental impacts that have been reported are water quality loss from the chemical treatment, water quality loss from hydrocarbon spills, introduction and spread of disease from seeding, overharvesting, introduction of exotic organisms, and attraction of other animals. It seems that if pearl farming is regulated properly and the farms do not use too many chemicals the pearl farming industry can be respectable and limit negative impact on the environment.
https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/content.php?9-Cultured-Pearls
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultured_pearl
But there is debate over if pearl farming is cruel or not. Cultured pearls are human creations formed by inserting a tissue graft from a donor mollusk, when a pearl sac forms, and the inner side releases calcium carbonate, in the form of nacre or "mother-of-pearl". Below you can see how pearls are made and how this is negative or positive for our environment and society.
Larvae float freely in water under controlled environments until they are a few weeks old. Over the next few months they develop into baby oysters and spend the next 1 to 2 years there until they are full grown. A pearl is formed when the mantle tissue is injured or another event that damages the outer rim of the shell of a mollusk shell bivalve. In response, the mantle tissue of the mollusk secretes nacre into the pearl sac then a cyst forms during the healing process. Chemically, this is the calcium carbonate and a fibrous protein called conchillion. As the nacre builds up in layers of tiny aragonite tablets, it fills the growing pearl sac and eventually forms a pearl. Artificially making pearls is a little different, after obtaining the mantle tissue from the first oyster it is time to work on the second animal. The oyster is placed in warm water to relax it, then it is gently pried open and mounted in a stand to be operated on. A small cut is made and the nucleus is inserted along with a small piece of mantle gland. The oyster is then placed back in the water and over several years the nucleus is coated with nacre. The nucleus is coated in many layers of this nacre so when pearls are cut in half, visible layers can be seen. Natural and cultured pearls' inner structure is different, this can be seen through the use of x-rays, which reveals the inner nucleus of the pearl. Colored Pearls are made when local chemicals are put inside the shell, inserting natural dyes into the mussel shell such as cobalt chloride to create a pinkish color. They also do this similarly to rubies and sapphires.
Pearl farming has benefits such as creating beautiful jewelry and creating a new industry for jobs. However there are also some negatives. Some environmental impacts that have been reported are water quality loss from the chemical treatment, water quality loss from hydrocarbon spills, introduction and spread of disease from seeding, overharvesting, introduction of exotic organisms, and attraction of other animals. It seems that if pearl farming is regulated properly and the farms do not use too many chemicals the pearl farming industry can be respectable and limit negative impact on the environment.
https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/content.php?9-Cultured-Pearls
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultured_pearl