Using cultured and natural pearls in gemstone jewelry

I have been reading up on pearls. They are beautiful and amazing! But what is a cultured pearl? Why are they so affordable? Are they "fake"? I found this great article on Fire Mountain Gems site and it answered so many questions!

https://www.firemountaingems.com/resources/encyclobeadia/gem-notes/gemnotepearl?emv=2&cid=1142701255286920347&rid=bc491672b05f57f1a70b135817b4bda1&wt.mc_id=NL180424

I love using natural gemstones to accent my jewelry designs and pearls are always an elegant addition, don't you think?