There are several different types of pearls, including natural pearls, cultured pearls, freshwater
pearls, and saltwater pearls. Natural pearls are formed without human intervention, making them rare
and valuable. Cultured pearls are created by inserting an irritant into a mollusk, but under
controlled conditions, allowing the pearl to grow more predictably. Freshwater pearls are grown in
freshwater mussels, while saltwater pearls are formed in oysters that live in saltwater
environments.