Pearl Information Sheet

Because the oyster does not always do what it is supposed to do, man figured out how to help the oyster by implanting a "seed" that allows nacre to form a natural pearl. This is a cultured pearl. Among the kinds of pearls that you can buy, most of them cultured, are Freshwater, South Sea, Tahitian and Akoya. Below we try to explain some of the differences.

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Akoya Cultured Pearls

These saltwater, high quality pearls are cultivated in Akoya oysters, mostly in Japan and China. They typically are roundish and 2mm to 9mm with a white, cream or pink body color and pink, silver or green overtone. Though similar to freshwater pearls, side by side you can view that a good Akoya is rounder and more lustrous and often grows to be larger. White is the prevalent color though all are prized when mounted as fine jewelry.

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South Sea Cultured Pearls

Large saltwater pearls (averaging 10mm to 20mm) are cultivated in the oceans around Australia, Myanmar, Indonesia and some other Pacific countries. They command premium prices for their size and thick nacre and are among the most prized pearls in the world. They are round, off-round and baroque (anywhere from pear shaped to very irregular shapes) and most often are seen in white, gold and pastel shades. White with a silvery tinge is widely used.

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Tahitian Cultured Pearls

Shown above, these pearls' natural-color is medium to very dark gray; almost black, and most are cultured in the saltwaters of French Polynesia and grow as big as South Sea pearls and in similar shapes. The best ones have an overtone called peacock green. Other overtones are pink, blue, gold and silver. The oysters that produce these pearls can be up 12 inches in size and are not very receptive to culturing, which is one reason these are expensive.

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Freshwater Cultured Pearls

These pearls are grown in lakes and rivers in Japan, China, and the U.S. Earlier versions could not be controlled well enough to produce round shapes, yielding odd images that garnered the title "Rice Pearls" among the users. However, unique shapes and colors have made them popular among jewelry designers, though China is working hard to perfect rounds of the same size as Japanese Akoya pearls. Recent inroads have produced pearls that are nearly round and very similar to the Akoya pearls at a lower price, a very reasonable alternative. Though not as round or symmetrical as Akoya, they look nice on a string. Colors include white, pink, lavender, peach, apricot and beige.

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Half, Blister & Mabé Cultured Pearls

These terms are often used interchangeably, but there are distinctions you should understand. Half pearls are ground or cut on one side, often to remove a blemish. Blister pearls grow attached to the inside of the mollusk and, when removed, one side is left flat with no nacre. Mabé pearls are created by gluing a half-bead (or other shaped nucleus) to the inside of the mollusk shell. Once covered with nacre, it’s cut from the shell, the bead is removed and the hole is filled with a paste and covered with a mother-of-pearl backing.

Learn more about Pearl Grading