cultured pearl

or culture pearl


noun

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.

Origin of cultured pearl

First recorded in 1920–25

British Dictionary definitions for cultured pearl

cultured pearl

noun

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