Pearls come from oysters and other bivalves, and are therefore not vegan. They are used almost exclusively for necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.
Our current understanding of biology suggests it’s possible that bivalves lack sentience and are therefore incapable of suffering. Hopefully, that is the case—because the process of culturing and harvesting pearls is profoundly invasive.
The overwhelming majority of pearls used for jewelry are “cultured.” This involves prying open the shell and inserting irritants. Over time, the bivalve secretes a substance called nacre that builds up around the irritants to form pearls. After several years, the bivalve is once again pried open to remove the pearls.
A small minority of pearls are taken from wild bivalves, where divers face hazardous conditions and can be killed carrying out their work.
Synthetic Pearls
While the capacity of bivalves to suffer is uncertain, pearls are indisputably an animal product and are therefore not vegan. Genuine pearls are surprisingly affordable, which limits the market for alternatives. But synthetic pearls are widely available, and can look exactly like the real thing.
When shopping for pearl alternatives online, search for vegan pearls or synthetic pearls.
