These glistening round gemstones have come a long way since your grandmother's time, but procuring them is still a lot of work. The world is Zachary Crockett’s oyster.

• SOURCES:
  • Jeremy Shepherd, C.E.O. of Pearl Paradise.
  • James Brown, owner of Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Pearls Have Acquired a New Luster Among Young Designers," by Victoria Gomelsky (New York Times, 2024).
  • "The Value of Pearls: A Historical Review and Current Trends," by Akitsugu Sato and Laurent Cartier (GemGuide, 2022).
  • "From Single Source to Global Free Market: The Transformation of The Cultured Pearl Industry," by Russell Shor (Gems & Geology, 2007).