Types of pearls

Pearl types can generally be divided into two major categories: Freshwater pearls & Saltwater pearls. Each type of pearl is produced by a different type of pearl shellfish, each of which lives in a different part of the world in very specific climatic conditions.

 

1) Freshwater Pearls：

Freshwater pearls are grown in Hyripsis cumingi (Triangle shell) which are farmed in fresh water, such as lakes, rivers and manmade ponds.

99.99% of all cultured pearls are from in China on the market today.  They present a rainbow of beautiful natural colors, and an incredible variety of sizes and unique pearl shapes that range from free form baroques to perfect rounds.

Freshwater pearls are divided into two categories : Tissue nucleated pearls & Bead nucleated pearls

  • Tissue nucleated pearls : Small, 1.0mm square piece of mantle tissue is used as the nuclei to begin pearl cultivation inside the mussel. As the pearl grows, the tissues degrade and leaving a pearl that is nearly 100% solid crystalline nacre. This means that tissue freshwater pearls are very durable and very like natural, wild pearls in terms of crystalline structure.
  • Famers usually implant up to 40 tissue pieces in the mantle of a mother-pearl mussel when it is about 6 months to 1 year old. The tissue pieces will be absorbed by the mussel. It usually takes the mussel 3 to 5 years to yield pearls, some can take up to 7 years to grow.

  • As there's no bead inside, it is very rare for the mussel to produce perfectly round or near-round shapes. Only about 2% of all freshwater pearls are round or near-round.

 

  • Bead nucleated freshwater pearl: With the advancement of the cultivation techniques over the last decade, Chinese pearl farmers have been able to insert a perfectly round mother-of-pearl bead nucleus into mussel to lay nacre around, increasing the chances of harvesting a spherical pearl. Many modern big freshwater pearls (brands Edison) as well as fancy shapes such as clover or hearts.

 

The amazing variety of shapes that occur with each harvest are due to subtle disruptions in the layering process inside the mollusk, it can be as something as tiny as an air bubble, to more invasive issues like parasites or bits of organic material that the animal has filtered into its interior body, eventually resulting in the wonderful array of Off-Round, Drop-Shape and Baroque pearls.

Want to know more about Freshwater pearls? Please click here

 

2) Saltwater Pearls

  • AKOYA Pearls

Akoya pearls are known for growing in Japanese waters, but they also grow in China, Southeast Asia and the Persian Gulf.

Most Akoya pearls are round or near-round, highly lustrous, ranging from 6 to 8mm in diameter on average.

Although most people picture Akoya pearls as a white strand, they do come in a variety of natural colours. Their body colours include white, cream and pink, often accompanied with a rose or ivory overtone.

The most distinctive feature that makes Akoya pearls stand out from the other pearl types is its high lustre, a top quality Akoya pearl typically exhibits a lustrous surface with a mirror-like reflection.

 

  • Tahitian Pearls

Tahitian pearls are often known as the “black pearls” but they are not entirely black.

In fact, they offer the widest range of natural colours ever seen in the market. They come in shades of grey, black, or brown and they can have blue to green, purple, yellowish green or pink overtones, while around 40% of Tahitian cultured pearls are spherical, many are near round or baroque shaped.

Most Tahitian pearls measure between 9 and 14mm but the average size is around 9.5mm.

Treasured for their rarity and their intriguing beauty, fine quality Tahitian pearls display excellent lustre. Sometimes, the lustre can be so high that it almost reaches a metallic sheen. 

 

  • South Sea Pearls

Known for their extraordinary beauty and large sizes. Among all other pearl types, are the largest and most valuable cultured pearls in the market. indigenous to the warm waters of northern Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Burma.

In general, South Sea pearls measure between 8 to 20mm in diameter, with an average size being 13mm.
They have a satiny lustre that is softer. Due to the warm waters and longer growth period, they also have exceptionally thick nacre, resulting in a unique lustrous glow.
South Sea pearls are not all white or golden. In fact, they exhibit a wide range of colours including cream, silver, yellow, and golden. In addition, they display various overtones including pink, green and blue.

 

  • Conch Pearls & Melo Pearls

All of the different pearl types described above are produced by bivalves. Univalve molluscs such as conches and Melo snails have one shell and no hinge. Although the pearls they produce don't display the pearly lustre of true pearls, but it is impossible to cultured by human assistance, both conch and Melo pearls are extremely rare and valuable. It is hard to see in the market.