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Cultured pearls

Cultured pearls 

Cultured pearls and mother-of-pearl for the creation of costume jewelry

France Perles, wholesaler in cultured pearls, offers you a large choice of quality cultured pearls for jewelry creation. You will find freshwater pearls, Tahitian pearls, Australian (South Sea) pearls and Akoya pearls, as well as a variety of quality mother-of-pearl, such as Abalone, Lambi (Conch) or pink, yellow, grey or white mother-of-pearl.
The cultured pearl is considered a precious component for women's jewelry but also for men's jewelry. Find our quality pearls to make your bracelets, necklace and earrings in cultured pearl.

What is a cultured pearl?

The cultured pearl is made by mollusks, in particular the pearl oyster. When an irritating object is introduced into its shell, the mollusk reacts by surrounding the object with layer after layer to protect itself. This coating is called nacre, the main component of cultured pearls.
Cultured pearls can be freshwater or saltwater. Freshwater pearls are the most commonly found on the market, with a wide range of colors (white, mauve, salmon, gray etc...), they are produced by freshwater oysters. Saltwater pearls are produced from sea water oysters, which are rarer and more expensive, such as Akoya, Tahitian or South Sea pearls.

What is a nacre?

Nacre is the inner layer of mollusk shells. It is formed by thin layers of aragonite, a crystalline calcium carbonate, alternating with organic layers of conchyoline, a fibrous protein, usually white or pink in color. Mother-of-pearl is known for its iridescent shine and shimmering color, which makes it highly prized for jewelry and decorative items.

Each pearl is unique, size and color may vary from one piece to another.

Subcategories

  • Freshwater cultured pearls bead strand

    Freshwater cultured pearls for your pearl jewelry creations

    Discover our wide selection of freshwater cultured pearls in different qualities and unique colors (white, peach, salmon, gray or blue). You'll find cultured pearls in round, rice-grain or oval shapes, as well as orignal shapes: baroque, keshi or tube, to satisfy your creative desires. Our freshwater cultured pearls on thread are fully pierced pearls strung on a cotton thread.

    Freshwater cultured pearls have made a comeback in recent years, as necklaces or bracelets, adding a touch of elegance or extravagance to your outfits. With our palette of choices, you can work our freshwater pearls in a thousand and one ways, to create the pearl jewelry of your dreams. Discover our pearls for bracelets, necklaces and earrings to make your own quality jewelry!

    Discover our stringing wires and our findings precious metal accessories for your DIY jewelry. If you'd like to know more about the history of cultured pearls, read our article on freshwater pearls.

    Short of ideas? Watch our tutorials for inspiration or to learn how to create pearl jewelry.

    The sizes indicated in the titles are the width of the pearls(crosswise to the wire), the size of the pearls on wire can vary by +/- 0.5mm, and the length of the wire by +/- 3cm. Gray and blue pearls are dyed white pearls.

    Each pearl is unique, and its color, size and reflections may vary from one to another.

  • Freshwater Cultured Pearls by unit

    Freshwater Pearls - Natural Cultured Pearls - DIY Pearl Jewelry

    We offer a wide range of natural freshwater pearls in beautiful quality and various shapes. Discover our cultured pearls drilled or half-drilled which will enable you to carry out earrings or pendants for necklace, or still our fresh water pearls with large hole for the realization of cord bracelet.


    Freshwater pearls by the unit allow you to test your jewelry creations in complete freedom. Try combining freshwater pearls with gemstone beads of different colors and shapes to design original jewelry!

    Discover our stringing wires as well as our findings precious metal accessories to make your DIY jewelry.

    If you want to know the history of cultured pearls, read our article on freshwater pearls. Watch our tutorials to find inspiration or learn how to create pearl jewelry.

    Each pearl being natural is unique, its color, size and reflections may vary from one pearl to another. The size of the pearls can vary from +/- 0.5mm.

  • Akoya cultured pearls

    Akoya cultured pearls - Japanese pearl - For jewelry creation

    Find our collection of Akoya cultured pearls on strings or by the unit, from 6 to 9mm. These Akoya pearls have been carefully selected for their luster as well as their color, in order to offer you the best quality pearl for your jewelry creations.

    What is an Akoya cultured pearl?

    The Akoya pearl is a cultured pearl produced by a specific species of oyster, called Pinctada fucata martensii, which is grown mainly in the waters of Japan, China and Korea.

    These pearls are highly prized for their luster, white or ivory color, roundness and relatively small size, usually between 2 and 10 mm in diameter. They are often used to make high quality jewelry, such as necklaces, earrings and pearl bracelets.
    Akoya pearls are considered to be one of the oldest and most prestigious cultured pearls. Today, the production of Akoya pearls remains a very careful and controlled process, making it a relatively expensive, high-end pearl. Want to know more? Check out our article on Akoya pearls.

    Find our high performance silk threads, as well as our findings in 14K gold filled and findings in 925 silver to make your own necklace or bracelet with high quality Akoya pearls!

  • Pearls of the South Seas

    South Sea Pearls - Australian Pearls - Pearl Jewelry Idea

    South Sea pearls, also known as Australian pearls, are pearls of exceptional quality with unique colors: gold or white gold. Much larger than the average pearl. They are produced on the northwest coast of Australia since the late nineteenth century. These are the largest diameter pearls and the rarest and most extraordinary that you will find in jewelry. Australian pearls are much larger than Akoya pearls or freshwater pearls, which sets them apart from all other pearls. They are unique, luxurious and highly sought after around the world. Want to know more? Read our article on South Sea pearls.

    Find our high performance silk threads, as well as our findings in 14K gold filled and findings in 925 silver to realize your necklace or bracelet in Akoya pearl of superior range!

  • Tahitian cultured pearls

    Tahitian pearls for the creation of high quality jewelry

    France Perles offers a wide range of Tahitian pearls of all sizes and shapes, all carefully selected and available at affordable prices. You will find Tahitian pearls in round shapes, but also baroque or even circled, packaged on wires or by the unit, to satisfy all your jewelry creation desires!

    What is a Tahitian cultured pearl?


    The Tahitian black pearl is a cultured sea water pearl grown near the island of Tahiti. This pearl is produced by the black-lipped pearl oyster Pinctada Margaritifera. The Tahitian pearl is often dark green to black in color. It is recognized by its color as well as its large size ranging from 8mm to 16mm. The production time of Tahitian pearls is longer than that of freshwater pearls, so they are more rare and often more expensive than freshwater pearls. Want to know more? Read our article on Tahitian pearls.

    Tahitian pearl jewelry is very popular with both women and men, because of its size and exceptional color.

    Find our high performance silk threads, as well as our findings in 14K gold filled and findings in 925 silver to make your Tahitian pearl necklace or bracelet of superior quality!

  • Pearls bead strand

    Natural mother of pearl on wire for the creation of necklaces and bracelets pearls original

    Discover our magnificent collection of white, pink, grey, abalone or pink lambi mother-of-pearl beads on . Our abalone mother of pearl beads are carefully selected for their quality and beauty, offering iridescent and shimmering colors that will enhance your jewelry creations.

    What is mother of pearl?


    The natural mother-of-pearl pearl comes from the inner part of shells which is different from the cultured pearl. The colors of the nacre vary depending on the mollusk of origin. We can find different shades of mother-of-pearl, ranging from a deep pink to a pure white to a silvery gray with multicolored reflections. The mother of pearl allows you to create delicate jewelry and whose color plays with the light. These pearls allow you to create jewelry in a thousand ways.

    Discover our accessories and threads to help you create pearl jewelry.

  • Mother of pearl by unit

    Natural mother-of-pearl - Mother-of-pearl beads by unit for easy jewelry creation

    Discover our great selection of white, pink, grey, abalone or pink lambi mother-of-pearl components. Our mother-of-pearl accessories are carefully selected for their quality and beauty, in order to offer you unique iridescent colors and reflections that will enhance your jewelry.

    Engraving on mother-of-pearl

    The mother-of-pearl pearl comes from the internal part of the shells which is different from the cultured pearl. The internal part of the shells also allows the ancestral craft that is the engraving on nacre. The colors of the mother-of-pearl vary according to the mollusc of origin, such as white, yellow, pink or gray. The mother of pearl allows you to create delicate jewelry, whose color can play with the light.


    Discover our natural mother-of-pearl of different colors in the form of cabochon, pendantsSpacers and charms.

    Discover our findings and natural stone beads to go with your pearly creations!

  • Lambi

    Lambi mother-of-pearl - Natural mother-of-pearl bead for unique jewelry creation

    Find our selection of mother-of-pearl beads Lambi - Pink Conch very elegant. The mother-of-pearl being an organic material, each of them is unique and can present some differences with the photo. The nacre covers the inside of the shellfish which also produces nacre to defend itself when a foreign element penetrates its shell, thus giving a pearl. The colors vary depending on the mollusc of origin. We can find different shades of pink, a pure white, a silver-gray with multicolored reflections ... The mother-of-pearl allows to create delicate jewels and whose color plays with the light.

    What is the Lambi?

    A Lambi mother-of-pearl is a shell of the Strombidae family, which produces a mother-of-pearl used to make decorative objects and jewelry.


    Discover our findings of stainless steel jewelry 304, Findings in silver 925, Findings in Gold filled 14 carats, Findings in Gold-filled pink 14 carats, Findings gilded with fine gold for your DIY jewelry creation. Find the beads you need to make your jewelry quality.

    In need of ideas? Watch our tutorials to find inspiration or learn how to create timeless jewelry.

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