What are cultured Pearls

You may be familiar with the everyday pearl but have you ever wondered, “What are cultured pearls?” I was recently faced with the question and I was a little taken back that I didn’t really know the answer. It is amazing how we can take some things for granted and it is also amazing how we really don’t pay that much attention to details in many cases.

The question was posed by my curious son who has just gotten past the “why” stage that is always so thrilling for parents. When he asked, “What are cultured pearls?” I immediately turned to him and the word “because” leapt out of my mouth before I really processed what it was he was really asking.

I took a moment after the “because” response and found myself staring off in silence trying to gather the information in my head. I eventually wound up asking myself, “What are cultured pearls?” My son was quick to tell me that this was his question and we wound up giving each other blank stares.

He was satisfied when I told him that we would work on finding the answer to the question together. We decided to start with his father who is pretty handy when it comes to questions like these. When he asked, “What are cultured pearls?” he was met with the same “because” response followed by silence.

I could actually hear the wheels turning in my husband’s head. He sprang a response that actually made me jealous in its cleverness. My husband suggested that my son try to find the answer himself. And my son did find his answer which he was more than happy to share with just about everyone he ran into for the next few weeks.

The great thing about the whole, “What are cultured pearls?” question is that it really got my husband thinking. When my birthday came rolling around I found myself opening a small, delicate package containing a stunning pair of cultured pearl earrings. I have to say that my son asks great questions.

In fact, I think that I have a new strategy. Instead of asking, “What are cultured pearls?” I’m encouraging my son to ask his dad plenty of other questions. For example, I think I’ll tell my son to ask, “What’s a tennis bracelet?” next week. I may not wind up with one around my wrist anytime soon but it’s worth a try.

About the Author: