Humans' harvesting and cultivation of pearls have a history spanning thousands of years.

With their lustrous and pristine appearance, Pearls are cherished and admired as gifts from the heavens. The exploration of the origin of pearls, driven by both romantic imagination and rational inquiry, has persisted for centuries.

In ancient times, when scientific knowledge was limited, people had a minimal understanding of pearls, let alone theories about their formation. Despite this, people, driven by their admiration for pearls, indulged in various whimsical speculations about their origin, giving rise to numerous myths. For instance, many ancient cultures believed that pearls formed from dewdrops or the tears of mythical beings.

Understandably, given the lack of scientific foundation in ancient times, these conjectures and mythological explanations held little scientific significance and were often steeped in superstition. Consequently, although pearls were present, their true genesis remained elusive.

The scientific exploration of pearl formation began to detach from mythological stories around the mid-16th century. As research on pearls advanced over different periods, scholars proposed various theories regarding their formation. Initially, pearls were thought to be products similar to kidney stones in bivalves suffering from a condition known as "pearl disease."

Subsequently, some believed that pearls formed due to excess bodily fluids or the retention of some eggs inside the organism. Others speculated that the entry of sand or grit into the bivalve led to the eventual formation of pearls. By the 18th century, it became evident that the material responsible for pearl formation shared properties with the shells, indicating that pearls were spherical shells formed through a consistent process.

While these early understandings were somewhat limited, they represented the first steps in exploring the mysteries of pearl formation from a scientific perspective.

1826 Edward Holmes dissected a pearl and discovered a glossy substance at its center.

He explained this by suggesting that the eggs of the pearl oyster were not transported to the oviduct and instead remained in the ovary, serving as the nucleus for pearl formation. In 1830, the German-Russian biologist Franz von Baer proposed the parasite theory, suggesting that pearls formed around the nucleus of a parasitic organism.

Von Baer pioneered the parasitic origin theory, and subsequent scientists discovered natural pearls with nuclei such as parasite eggs, heads, or larvae in various bivalves. Consequently, the parasite origin theory was firmly established.

However, the development of the parasite theory did not significantly contribute to pearl cultivation. Even with extensive attempts to infect pearl oysters with parasites, practical pearl cultivation has remained elusive. Nevertheless, research into the parasite origin theory held high scientific value.

After centuries of scientific exploration and research, the fundamental theories regarding the origin of pearls have been primarily established with the assistance of experimental biology. With the continuous development of biological sciences, especially experimental biology, research into the origin of pearls is advancing and evolving.

The shell contains a membrane known as the mantle. This mantle consistently produces a liquid similar to tears in our eyes. When the bivalve feeds, it opens and closes its two valves, drawing water in to consume food and then expelling it. Occasionally, foreign particles such as sand or parasites may enter.

When the mantle is stimulated, it secretes nacre, layering the intruding substance and gradually forming a pearl sac – the lustrous and smooth outer layer. Pearl cultivation is based on this principle, utilizing the nucleus insertion technique to implant spherical beads into the shell, forming pearls.

Shortly, we may uncover more secrets within these small shells.