How Many Kinds of Cultured Pearls Are There?
Have a look at the video (in 720p) below for an overview of the types, colours, shapes and sizes of cultured pearls.
- Pearls may be found in salt water or fresh water.
- Both saltwater and freshwater pearls may either be natural or cultured pearls.
- Natural pearls are at heart all nacre, with no shell bead as its core.
- Natural pearls are rare and costlier than cultured pearls by virtue of the following:
- It takes a tremendous amount of time to raise these mollusks; and
- No certainty that these molluscs will produce pearls successfully. Even if they do, resembling their mollusk counterparts, not all natural pearls will be of fine quality and desirable on every occasion.
- Majority of the pearls that are retailing today are cultured pearls.
1. Saltwater Pearls
- Saltwater pearls are commonly known as South Sea pearls.
- 3 colours: white, gold and black (also known as Tahitian pearls), with an extraordinary variety of overtone colours.
- Similarly, Japanese Akoya pearls are saltwater pearls.
- Imagine petite lustrous, white round pearls with rosé overtone.
White South Sea Pearls
White South Sea Pearl 18K Gold Necklace by Pearls Atelier.
A collection of natural and cultured pearls. White South Sea pearls and Gold South Sea pearls.
Photo by Cliff. Licensed under CC 4.0.
Photo by Cliff. Licensed under CC 4.0.
Gold South Sea with White South Sea 18K Gold Ring
White pearl in pearl oyster, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Photo by Anna.
Photo by Anna.
Japanese Akoya Pearls
Japanese Akoya Pearl 18K Gold or White Gold Stud Earrings by Pearls Atelier.
Japanese Akoya Pearl Strand by Pearls Atelier.
Tahitian (and Black) Pearls
Black pearls, also known as Tahitian pearls (if from French Polynesia), are found in black-lip oysters.
Photo by Ed Bierman. Licensed under CC by 4.0.
Tahitian Baroque Pearl 18K White Gold Hook Earrings by Pearls Atelier.
Tahitian Pearl 18K White Gold Stud Earrings by Pearls Atelier.
Black pearls. Bottom: Edited image with high saturation to illustrate the iridescence of the pearls.
Photo by James St. John. Licensed under CC 4.0.
Gold South Sea Pearls
Gold Baroque South Sea Pearl 18K White Gold Hook Earrings by Pearls Atelier.
Gold South Sea Pearl 18K Gold Ring with Diamond by Pearls Atelier.
2. Freshwater Pearls
- Pearls from mussels that live in lakes and rivers.
- Chinese freshwater pearls are routinely subjected to excessive processing.
- An individual mussel can produce as many as 50 pearls at a time.
- China later produced Akoya pearls as well but they are not as lustrous as Japanese Akoya pearls due to different waters as well as warmer water conditions.
- American freshwater pearls are exclusive for their rich lustre and orient. They belong in the same league as the finest saltwater pearls.
Freshwater pearls in mussel.
Used with kind permission from Myhdfarming (https://agrifarmingtips.com/profitable-pearl-moti-farming-info-and-guide-for-beginners/).
Which pearl captivates you? What speaks to you?
Is the purity of the pearl? The colour, the roundness or the organic shape that take different forms? The mysterious black pearls, which radiate a velvety metallic rainbow? The smooth face of the pearl? Or the pearl that is ringed, bold with character?
Lustre and orient fuel the longevity of a pearl. This could be the starting point.
Which pearl are you drawn to? What speaks to you?
It is a personal connection and preference.
A partial variety of cultured pearl colours and overtone colours.
Top row, left to right: Pink (rosé), cream pink, silver;
Middle row: Gold, cream, green;
Bottom row: Black, blue and brown.
Photo by Shohei Shirai, Gemstone Identification Course at Far East Gem Institute.
Used with kind permission from Far East Gem Institute (https://fareastgem.institute/2016/02/29/7-factors-for-pearl-quality-appreciation/).