A pearl is a hard, rounded object produced by certain animals, primarily mollusks such as oysters. Pearls can be used in jewelry and also crushed in cosmetics or paint. Pearl is valued as a gemstone and is cultivated or harvested for jewelry.

Pearls are usually harvested in Japan, China, India, Australia & Persian Gulf. The largest pearl ever found, so far, came from the Philippines in 1934. It weighed 14 lbs (6.36 kgs) when it was discovered by an anonymous Muslim Filipino diver off the island of Palawan.

Pearls fit into two categories: freshwater and saltwater. As their name implies, freshwater pearls are formed in freshwater mussels that live in lakes, rivers, ponds and other bodies of fresh water. Most freshwater cultured pearls sold today come from China. By contrast, saltwater pearls grow in oysters that live in the ocean, usually in protected lagoons. Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian are the three main types of saltwater pearls.