It’s possible that when you go through our variety of pearl items, you’ll have questions regarding pearl maintenance or about the many varieties of pearls available. This article will provide you with information about pearl jewelry so that you can make an informed decision before making a purchase.
Before making a purchase, we encourage you to read through this article to gain a better understanding and appreciation for the four main types of freshwater cultured pearls: Akoya, Tahiti, and South Seas, as well as their characteristics, care, and the most important factors that determine their value, quality, and beauty.
Some Points to Consider Before and After Purchasing Pearls!
- When purchasing Pearl Earrings, Necklaces, Rings, or Bracelets, we recommend that you carefully examine the lustre, color, form, surface, and size of the pearl in relation to the price of the item you are purchasing. Of course, you should never ignore your own particular preferences.
- Most of the time, consumers like traditional shapes or hues that are not extremely valuable. This does not imply that these pearls are any less gorgeous. When it comes to baroque pearls, for example (pearls with an irregular shape), there is something about them that you may find appealing, despite the fact that they are deemed less expensive than round pearls.
- Many clients find colored beads to be very appealing. For this reason, do not force yourself to purchase round and white pearl earrings if you are drawn to black baroque pearl earrings.
- Once you have acquired your pearl jewelry, you must ensure that it is kept in its original condition. These gems are not only beautiful, but they also have a high monetary value. Pearls are slightly more brittle than other jewels due to the fact that they are biological in origin. This implies that whether wearing pearls, storing them in their boxes, or caring for them, you must exercise extra caution to prevent damage.
Pearl Guide
Pearls are naturally occurring creatures that originate in the tissues of some shellfish, such as oysters, and are found in abundance. Natural cultivated pearls, that is, pearls that have not been artificially manufactured by man, are incredibly rare, and this is especially true when the pearls are completely spherical in shape.
As a result, farmed pearls account for the vast majority of pearls on the market. It is possible to create cultured pearls by inserting a grain of sand or a small stone into the interior of a mollusk’s shell. In order to neutralize the invader, the mollusk deposits layers of calcium carbonate, known as Nacre, on top of the sand grain. This results in pearl formation!
Pearls come in a variety of sizes, hues, and forms, depending on their origin, their different shells, and the uniqueness of the waters in where they were found. Today, there are four primary varieties of cultivated pearls available on the market, each with its own set of characteristics: freshwater, Akoya, Tahitian, and South Sea cultured pearls.
Freshwater cultured pearls are the most common variety, followed by Akoya, Tahitian, and South Sea cultured pearls.
1. Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater pearls are produced in mussels that dwell in freshwater lakes and ponds, whereas most pearls are cultured in oysters that reside in salty sea water. Freshwater pearls are often not as round or as lustrous as other types of cultivated pearls, but they are significantly more durable than their cultured counterparts.
By employing a unique harvesting procedure, it is possible to generate a large number of pearls from a single mold. Freshwater pearls are available in a variety of hues, depending on the mussel and the mineral composition of the water: white, mauve, lavender, and pink, peach, plum, orange, and so on.
Their diameter can range from 2 to 16 mm, with an average of 7 to 8 mm. Their length can range from 2 to 16 mm. Freshwater pearls are the least costly of all farmed pearls because of their irregularity in color, shape, and size. They are also the most popular because of their similarity in color, shape, and size. As a result, they provide exceptional value for money.
2. Akoya Pearls
Akoya pearls are the most traditional and widely worn of all the white pearls available. They are also the shiniest and most lustrous of all farmed pearls, and they have the most luminous sheen. Akoya pearls are grown from saltwater shells in Japan and China, where they are valued for their beauty.
Pinctada Fucata is the scientific name for them. Although the diameters of these range from 2 to 11 mm in diameter, the typical size is between 6-7 mm. An Akoya pearl larger than 7mm in diameter is regarded exceptionally uncommon, and its price can soar by as much as 300%. Akoya pearls may be found in a variety of colors, including pink, gold, and blue, although the majority of them are white with a little pink tone.
Generally speaking, Akoya cultured pearls have the same size and form as other types of cultured pearls, which is why they are so popular and frequently used in fine jewelry adornments.
3. Tahitian Pearls
It is the unusual dark color and big size of Tahitian pearls that distinguish them from other types of pearls. They are often grown in the lagoons of French Polynesia or the Cook Islands, depending on the species. Tahitian pearls are produced by a species of huge black oysters known as Pinctada Margaritifera, which are found only in Tahiti.
Despite the fact that Tahitian pearls are commonly referred to as “black pearls,” the color of Tahitian pearls can range from dark purple to green to grey to silver to blue. Sizes can range from 8-16mm in diameter, with the usual size of a Tahitian pearl being 9-10mm in diameter. This is somewhat smaller than the South Sea pearl, but slightly bigger than the Akoya pearl!
4. South Sea or Australian Pearls
In the seas of northern Australia, South Asia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, pearls from the South Seas are farmed and harvested. Oysters of the species Pinctada Maxima are responsible for the production of these pearls. South Sea pearls have the widest diversity of hues, owing to the fact that oysters create pearls with silver, gold, cream, or white accents on their surfaces.
Additionally, because their sizes range from 9 to 20 mm in diameter, with an average size of 11 to 13 mm on average, they constitute the most diverse variety of farmed pearls. In addition, they are distinguished by the softness of their skin and the roundness of their form.
A combination of factors, including their gorgeous silky surface, their scarcity in the Pinctada Maxima oyster, and the sensitivity of these oysters throughout the harvest process, has resulted in South Sea pearls being some of the costliest farmed pearls available.