cultured pearl

or culture pearl

noun

1. a pearl induced to form by placement of a grain of sand or another irritating object within the shell of a pearl oyster or mussel.

cultured pearl

noun

1. a pearl induced to grow in the shell of an oyster or clam, by the insertion of a small object around which layers of nacre are deposited

Word History and Origins

Origin of cultured pearl¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Perhaps the most ingenious, as well as the most natural looking product, is the "cultured pearl."

From Project Gutenberg