Pearl Types

Natural vs. Cultured Pearls

The term "natural" is given to those pearls formed inside a mollusk without intervention by people. The chances of someone coming across a perfectly rounded natural pearl are extremely slim, which is why most pearls on the market today are in fact "cultured" pearls. Cultured pearls are what happens when man steps in. Acting much like a chef with a recipe, a pearl farmer coaxes the process along by placing the proper ingredients, so to speak, into a mollusk to then naturally form a perfectly shaped pearl.

Freshwater vs. Saltwater Pearls

Basically, all cultured pearls can be listed in two categories: Freshwater Pearls and Saltwater Pearls. Freshwater pearls are grown primarily in man-made lakes and reservoirs in China. Saltwater pearls, which include Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea, are grown in bays, inlets and atolls in many places around the world. Saltwater pearls are considered more valuable than freshwater pearls, although rare and very high-quality freshwater pearls can be exceedingly valuable.

  • Fresh Water
  • Akoya
  • Tahitian
  • South Sea

Freshwater Pearls

    

Freshwater pearls are best known for their wide range of shapes, sizes, and colors, and their attractive prices. They are produced by the Hyriopsis cumingi, Hyriopsis schlegeli, and Cristaria plicata mussels, which live in lakes and rivers in China and Japan. Most of the Chinese freshwater pearl farming takes place within about 480 km (300 miles) of Shanghai. The mussels are grafted with pieces of mantle tissue, resulting in pearls of solid nacre. Each mussel is able to produce up to 32 pearls at a time, up to 16 on either valve.

Size: 3mm to 13mm
Shape: 2% round, near round or semi round; 60% oval, button or coin; 35% baroque or semi-baroque
Color: White, Peach, Purple
Luster: From excellent, good to fair
Surface: Range from clean, lightly blemished to moderately blemished
Nacre: Thick
Rarity: Common