Where are Pearls Found?

The answer to the question: "Where are pearls found?" may surprise you.

Pearls can be found in the most unlikely places.

Last November I attended the Pearls Exhibition in Tokyo. On one large wall, as part of the exhibition were several types of "shell" creatures mounted and their side was the pearl they produced.

You can imagine my shock when I saw a common sand snail with a "pearl" it had created inside of it.

But, just because all sorts of "shell" creatures can produce something like a pearl, doesn't mean they all have value or worth. Some are more accurately called calcareous concretions.

When considering pearls of value and worth, here is a list of countries and regions that answers the question: "Where are pearls found?"

This is from the GIA education department.

So...where are pearls found? Many, many places...however, this is not a comprehensive list for the places where natural pearls have been found or are still being found today.

Historical records, for example, site several places in the USA alone where natural pearls have been discovered.

These blue mussel pearls were found in Norway.

Find Australian pearling history here.

Scotland is another place where many natural pearls have been found.

In the 1930's Venezuela was a popular place to find pearls.

October, 2007, US Jewelers are urging a ban on Burmese gems.

Where are Pearls Found? Natural ones, that is. An excellent overview.

Information on species and countries where natural pearls are found.

Australia Where are pearls found?

Country/Area/Body of Water	Mollusk
New South Wales	Pinctada maxima (White-lipped oyster, gold-lipped oyster)
Northern Territory	Pinctada maxima
Queensland--Cairns	Pinctada maxima
Queensland--Cooktown	Pinctada maxima
Queesland--Thursday Island	Pinctada maxima
Torres Strait	Pinctada maxima
Western Australia--Broome	Pinctada maxima
Western Australia--Burrup Peninsula	Pinctada maxima
Western Australia--Cygnet Bay, Deep Water Point, Talbot Bay, Willie Creek	Pinctada maxima
Western Australia--Exmouth Gulf, King Sound, Kuri Bay, Montebello Island, Pender Bay, Roebuck Bay	Pinctada maxima
Western Australia--Shark Bay	Pinctada albino (Arafur pearl oyster)

Canada Where are pearls found?

British Columbia--Faumfield Marine Station, Burnaby

Abalone: Haliotis kamtschatkana (Pinto abalone)

China--Freshwater

Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei	Cristaria plicata (River shell, wrinkle shell), Hyriopsis cumingi (Triangle shell)
Guangdong--Chenghai, Nan Ao, Shantou	Hyriopsis cumingi
Guangxi	Hyriopsis cumingi, Hyriopsis schlegi
Jiangsu--Changzhou	Hyriopsis sumingi
Jiangsu--Lake Taihu and nearby ponds	Hyriopsis cumingi
Zhejiang--Shaoxing, Zhuji	Hyriopsis cumingi, Hyriopsis schlegi (Biwa perly mussel)

China--Saltwater

Guangdong--Chenghai	Pinctada fucata (Chinese Akoya oyster)
Guangdong--Hainan Island	Pinctada fucata
Guangxi--Beihai	Pinctada fucata
Guangxi--Hepu	Pinctada fucata

Cook Islands

Cook Islands	Pinctada maculata (Maculated pearl oyster)
Cook Islands	Pinctada margaritfera, var. cumingi (Black-lipped oyster
Cook Islands	Pinctada maxima

French Polynesia Where are pearls found?

Anuanuraro	Pinctada margaritifera, var. cumingi
Gambier Islands--Mangareva	Pinctada margaritifera, var. cumingi
Tuamotu Archipelago--Ahe	Pinctada margaritifera, var. cumingi
Tuamotu Archipelago--Aratika	Pinctada margaritifera, var. cumingi
Tuamotu Archipelago--Apataki, Arutua, Faaite, Fakarawa, Kauehi, Makemo, Nego Nego, Rangiroa	Pinctada margaritifera, var. cumingi
Tuamotu Archipelago--Hikueru, Takapoto, Takaroa, Takume	Pinctada margaritifera, var. cumingi
Tuamotu Archipelago--Kaukura, South Marutea	Pinctada margaritifera, var. cumingi
Tuamotu Archipelago--Manihia	Pinctada margaritifera, var. cumingi

Indonesia Where are pearls found?

Flores	Pinctada maxima
Irian Jaya--Sorong, Wageo	Pinctada maxima
Maluku--Aru, Ceram	Pinctada maxima
Maluku--Bacan, Dobo, Halmahera, Tanimbar, Tual	Pinctada maxima
Nusa Tenggara Barat--Gili Air	Pinctada maxima
Sulawasi--Banggai, Togian	Pinctada maxima
Sumatra--Lampung	Pinctada maxima
Sumbawa	Pinctada maxima
Timor--Kupang	Pinctada maxima

Japan--Freshwater

Lake Biwa	Hyriopsis schlegeli
Lake Kasumiga	Hyriopsis cumingi--Hyriopsis schlegeli hybrid

Video of Japanese Pearl Processes

Japan--Saltwater

(Area not specified)	Abalone: Haliotis
Ehime--Uwajima	Pinctada fucata martensii
Kagoshima; Kumamoto	Pinctada fucata martensii
Mie--Ago, Kashikojima, Toba	Pinctada fucata martensii
Mie--Ise	Pinctada fucata martensii
Nagasaki--Goto Shisushima	Pinctada fucata martensii
Nansei Shoto--Amamioshima, Ishigakishima, Okinawa	Pinctada margaritifera
Nansei Shoto--Amamioshima	Pinctada maxima

Mexico Where are pearls found?

Baja California	Pteria sterna (Western winged pearl oyster)
Baja California--La Paz	Pinctada mazatlanica (Panamanian pearl oyster)
Guyamas	Pinctada mazatlanica

Myanmar

Myanmar

Pinctada maxima

New Zealand Where are pearls found?

Stewart Island

Abalone: Haliotis Iris (Paua, iris, or rainbow abalone)

North America

Pacific Coast

Abalone: Haliotis rufescens (Red abalone), H. fulgens (Green abalone)

Philippines Where are pearls found?

Mindanao--Davao, Zamboanga	Pinctada maxima
Palawan: Surigao Strait	Pinctada maxima
Visayan Islands--Bohl, Cebu, Panay	Pinctada maxima

South Africa

South Africa

Abalone: Haliotis

United States--Freshwater

Tennessee--Kentucky Lake, Tennessee River	Megalonaias Nervosa
Texas--San Angelo	Megalonaias Nervosa

United States--Saltwater

Hawaii	Pinctada margaritifera

Vietnam--Freshwater

Ho Tay

Cristaria plicata

Vietnam--Saltwater

Vietnam

Pinctada fucata

Where are Calcareous Concretions Found?

Bahamas	Strombus gigas
Bermuda	Stromus gigas
China--South China Sea	Melo Melo (Melo "pearl" or Indian volute)
Cuba	Strombus gigas
India	Melo Melo
Indonesia	Melo Melo
Malaysia	Melo Melo
Myanmar	Melo Melo
United States	Strombus gigas
Vietnam--Halong Bay	Melo Melo