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.