How to find Animal Crossing: New Horizons pearls

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Get that mermaid set made by nabbing yourself some Animal Crossing pearls

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons pearls are rather special crafting materials that are pretty hard to get. Well, they wouldn't be that special if they were, would they? You'll need these iridescent balls in order to craft the beautiful Animal Crossing: New Horizons mermaid DIY recipes, which should give your home lashings of siren chic you never knew you needed. 

And while there are two tried-and-tested ways to nab yourself a pearl (or twenty), it's going to take a little bit of grinding and daily toil to reap the rewards - as you'd expect with anything so shiny and sought after. So, if you're looking to decorate your home with dazzling mermaid interiors, here's how to find Animal Crossing: New Horizons pearls.

1. Find them on the ocean floor

A player finds a pearl in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The main way to earn pearls is to go diving for them. Like the brand new Animal Crossing: New Horizons sea creatures, they have the potential to be found wherever there are little bubbles rising to the surface of the water as you swim out in the open. Here's the cheat sheet on how to swim in Animal Crossing: New Horizons and dive:

  • Grab a wetsuit from the Nook's Cranny cabinet, Nook Shopping or Nook Miles Rewards
  • Put on your wetsuit
  • Go to the beach or rocks near the ocean
  • Press A to get in the sea
  • Press A to swim
  • Press Y to dive when near bubbles rising to the surface
  • Move over the shadow using A to swim
  • Once over the top, you'll automatically dive down to grab your prize

There are 40 new sea creatures to find, plus pearls, so they are pretty rare spawns, meaning it's worth checking regularly. 

2. Get them from Pascal in exchange for scallop shells

A player talks to Pascal about pearls in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Our pal Pascal is a little otter who has a hunger for scallops. In exchange for your scallop shells he'll gift you a mermaid DIY recipe, or sometimes a pearl. It's much easier to nab them via diving, but it's worth noting that he may also gift one to you on occasion too. 

Sam Loveridge
Sam Loveridge
Brand Director, GamesRadar+

Sam Loveridge is the Brand Director and former Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar. She joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.

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