Shopping for Pearls: The Different Types of Pearls

If you are shopping for pearl jewelry, it is helpful to know what different types of pearls exist and the value of each kind. In this post I am going to explore all of the different types of pearls, where they are cultivated and cultured, and why some are more pricey than others.

Cultured pearls can be placed in two broad categories: freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls.

FRESHWATER PEARLS

Freshwater pearls generally come from lakes, ponds, rivers and other bodies of freshwater and are found more commonly in mussels than in oysters. The majority of all freshwater pearls come from China. Because of the way that they are cultured, freshwater pearls are composed almost entirely of nacre which leads to their high luster and quality. These pearls cover the widest range of options for pearl buyers in size, shape and color. Less than 2% of freshwater pearls are perfectly round, making them individually unique.

SALTWATER PEARLS

Saltwater pearls are formed in oysters and are primarily cultured in the waters of Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia. There are three main types of saltwater pearls: Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea.

Akoya Pearls

Akoya pearls are considered the classic pearl. They were the first type of pearls to be cultivated around the turn of the 20th century, making them the first mass produced pearl. They are small in size and are almost all round or nearly round, making them a good pearl for matching when creating a strand of pearls. The Akoya pearl is either white or cream in body color with rose, cream, silver or ivory overtones. Black Akoya pearls can also be produced through a technique called irradiation. They are high in luster and the prices of Akoya pearls increase dramatically with the increase of their size.

Tahitian Pearls

Tahitian pearls are prized for their large size, their exotic, naturally dark colors and their rarity. They can be brown, gray, blue, green and purple as well as black. They come in sizes ranging from 7mm to 15mm, which is large on the scale of pearl sizes. Tahitian pearls can never be mass produced. This is due to the pearls not surviving the process of cultivation, the oyster’s rejection of the small object inserted during the cultivation process, and/or the sensitivity of the oyster to changing climatic and ocean conditions.

South Sea Pearls

Like Tahitian pearls, South Sea pearls are some of the rarest and most valued pearls in the world. They are distinguished predominantly by their large size and are generally the largest cultured pearls on the market, with the average diameter measuring about 13mm. South Sea Pearls are usually white or silver colored, but they can also come in shades of yellow or blue-gray with pink or green overtones. They are rarely ever treated post harvest and are valued for their unique, natural color.

How are Pearls Created?

I have been doing a ot of research about pearls lately in anticipation of recording a series of educational podcasts on the subject. There are so many interesting facts about pearls that I never knew! I thought it would be interesting to share what I have been learning on my blog.

Pearls are one of nature's most beautiful and unique wonders. Most jewels are mined from the earth but pearls are found inside LIVING creatures. They are the result of a biological process. Although they are most commonly found inside oysters, pearls can also form inside other mollusks such as clams and mussels. They can be formed in both saltwater and freshwater. Where they are formed can alter their appearance in many different ways but I will be researching more into that later.

Pearls are actually the mollusks' way of protecting itself from foreign. Oysters are a bivalve organism. This means it is made up of two parts, or valves that are attached by an elastic ligament that allows for the mollusk to open and eat. The mantle is an organ in the mollusk that produces its shell, made of a material called nacre, using minerals from its food.

The formation of a pearl begins when a foreign substance/object slips in between the mantle and the shell, irritating the mantle. Various types of irritants include organic material, parasites, or damage to the mantle that is displaced inside the mollusk's body. The mantle covers the irritant with layers of nacre (the material it uses to create its shell). A pearl is eventually formed!

Pearls can be formed naturally or can be cultured with human aide. Naturally formed pearls of good quality are very rare and are extremely expensive. They are usually sold as collector's items or are used as the centerpiece in unique jewelry. A fun and interesting historical pearl fact I came across while reading about rare natural pearls said that Cartier purchased the landmark Cartier jewelry store on Fifth Avenue in New York City with $100 cash and a double strand of matched natural pearls! The pearls were valued at $1 million dollars.

Cultured pearls are formed when the pearl harvester either implants a shell bead into the mollusk or cuts a small slit in the mantle tissue. The pearl then forms just as does a natural pearl. The pearl is then removed after about 6 months or more and made into jewelry. Then, customers can visit Shangby.com and shop for this pearl jewelry right at the source for discounted prices! :)

Rachel Ray Gets Shangby'ed

One of the most exciting things to happen for Shangby.com since its start in June of last year was our appearance on the Rachel Ray Show! This video shows the segment that aired on December 16, 2007. It also is a good visual example of what happens when you call in and shop via video with Shangby! This kind of exposure was great for sales for the month and helped to get our name out to our target audience. Go Shangby!

The First Post!

Welcome to the first post on the "BlingBuzz for Shangby.com" blog! My name is Stephanie Brown and I am a Senior in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas. I am also currently working part time as a marketing specialist for a jewelry website called Shangby.com.

Shopping at Shangby is a unique experience because it allows you to shop via video at jewelry stores accross the world in Shanghai, China. 95 percent of the worlds pearls are harvested from China. Tourists visiting China, especially Shanghai, for years have been snatching up beautiful pearl jewelry for a fraction of what they cost in the US and other countries. Steve Bell, our CEO was one of these tourists. While shopping with his son in Shanghai, he decided to bring the ability to shop in these jewelry stores to people in the US, saving them the expense of traveling all the way to China for the experience. This is how Shangby.com was born.

Between 8pm and 10pm CST (becuase of the time difference in Shanghai), you can go to our website, call a toll free number, and shop via your own private video feed in a jewelry store in Shanghai. Our camera crew, which is set up in the store, allows you to view whichever pieces interest you. Claire, our spokesperson and personal shopper, is standing by trying on items for you or suggesting different pieces while you talk to her on the telephone. In China, bartering and bargaining is how you decide on the price of the item(s). Once you decide what you want, you can directly bargain with the seller to arrive at a final price! The item(s) are then uploaded into the Shangby inventory for you to purchase and other eCommerce visitors to view and/or purchase.

I have been working for Shangby since the beginning of the year. I decided to dedicate this blog to Shangby because I love our website, the awesome jewelry, and working here. It is an awesome idea and I hope to be able to get the word out to others about our company! It rocks!

-Steph