Are pearls considered a precious gemstone?

I read an article, in which pearls were regarded as ""The Oldest Gemstone"". A pearl, like gems, comprises minerals, but the unique way they are generated, inside an oyster, really distinguishes them from any other valuable gemstone.

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Pearls, strictly speaking, are not considered gemstones at all. However, since they have gained in popularity and use they have been termed precious gemstones and are commonly used in jewelry.

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The definition of a gemstone is any mineral or petrified substance that can be used as jewel after being cut and polished. Pearls quite fit the requirements of this definitions since they are a composed of the mineral calcium carbonate, secreted by mollusks, and pearls are certainly polished and used in jewelry. Pearls are rarely cut and are usually set into pearl jewelry in their natural round shape, but cut and faceted pearls can be found on the market if you search really hard.

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