TYPES OF PEARLS

TAHITIAN PEARLS

Tahitian black pearls are some of the rarest, most valuable pearls available They come in a wide range of natural colors including black, aubergine, eggplant, peacock, silver, purple, pistachio, and more. Tahitian pearls range in size from 9mm to 16mm making them some of the largest pearls available. Black Tahitian pearls are mainly grown in the clear, warm waters in French Polynesia from the Pinctada Margaratifera also called a black lip oyster. This is one of the largest pearl-producing oysters in the world, only exceeded by the South Sea pearl-producing Pictada Maxima. Tahitian pearls are rarer than other types of pearls, since only a small number of oysters survive to produce a fine pearl. Since each Tahitian pearl is very unique and does not resemble any other, it takes hundreds of pearls to find the similar ones required to make a strand.

AKOYA PEARLS

Akoya pearls are found only in Japan, China, and Vietnam. Japanese Akoya pearl farms are shifting towards the warmer Chinese waters, where these pearls take only half as long to grow. Overtone colors of Akoya pearls include white, cream, rose, silver, and green. Akoya pearl sizes range from less than 5mm to 9mm. Larger Akoya pearl sizes are possible, but less frequent., with their awe-inspiring luster and stunning brilliance, are truly the diamonds of the sea. Akoya pearls have long been a traditional symbol of elegance and beauty, and they are the most popular of all pearl types. Tese pearls are farmed in saltwater and are always grown in oysters. Saltwater pearls typically command a higher price than their freshwater cousins.

FRESHWATER PEARLS

These cultured pearls are farmed in freshwater and are grown in mussels. The irritants used in making freshwater pearls are often smaller than those used in saltwater pearls, which results in a pearl with more nacre, or more pearl, and less core irritant. Freshwater pearls are typically more cost effective because freshwater mussels are larger and can produce up to 20 pearls at a time, whereas saltwater oysters are smaller and can only produce one pearl at a time. Freshwater pearls are considerably less expensive than other types of pearls, yet they come in a wide range of natural colors, sizes, and shapes.

NATURAL PEARLS (UNCULTURED)

These are the most rare form of a pearl. They form without human instigation. The process begins when an irritant positions itself inside the oyster. As a defensive measure, the oyster secrets layers of nacre which cover the irritant. This nacre forms the "pearl" as we know it. The amount, quality and shape of nacre that surrounds the irritant particle essentially determines the quality of the pearl. Because of their rarity and low demand, natural pearls can only be bought at estate auctions and through private dealers.

JAPANESE VS CHINESE AKOYA PEARLS

Japan is famous for its introduction and promotion of the cultured pearl. Unfortunately, pollution has devastated Japan's pearl harvests and has decreased the quality of their pearls. China initially started culturing pearls in the 1980's and is now producing pearls of equal and sometimes higher quality than many of the pearls coming from Japan. Since the waters in China are less polluted and warmer, Chinese pearls have a thicker nacre and often a higher luster. Some Japanese firms have even started importing Chinese pearls and labeling them as Japanese pearls since it is more expensive to grow the pearls in Japan.

WHITE SOUTH SEA PEARLS

White South Sea cultured pearls are grown in large tropical or semi-tropical oysters in Australia, Myanmar, Indonesia and other Pacific countries. These generally range in size from 10mm to 20mm and command premium prices because of their relative rarity and large size. They come primarily in white, yellow, yellowish orange, blue and some black tones. The overtones are rose, green and blue.

CONCH PEARLS

So-called "conch pearls" (pronounced "konk") contain no nacre, so technically they are not actually pearls at all. Instead, the gems are calcareous concretions, similar to kidney stones in humans. They are produced by the Queen conch mollusk (Strombus gigas), which lives primarily in the Caribbean near southern Florida.

No one has yet devised a method for culturing conch pearls, so every one you see will be a natural pearl. Therefore, they are extremely rare and valuable. It is estimated that only one in 10,000 conchs produces a pearl, and that less than 10 percent of those are of gem quality.

Since the meat of the Queen conch is prized as food, it is generally harvested by fishermen, rather than being sought strictly for its pearls. The pearls tend to be "by-products," discovered by the fishermen as they harvest and clean their catch.

Conch pearls are usually small in size -- 3 millimeters or less -- and baroque or oval in shape. Colors are generally pink, yellow, brown, white, or golden. Pink (or a salmon-colored orange-pink) is generally the most sought-after color, while white and brown are relatively rare.

In addition to its often-striking colors, the conch pearl often has another important surface feature called a "flame structure," which is a unique pattern in the coloration. The flame structure generally appears in the pink or white-pink pearls, although the other colors sometimes also exhibit it.

An important fact to remember, if you are considering purchasing a conch pearl, is that its colors tend to fade significantly over time. Experts are not completely sure why, although sunlight is often cited as at least one factor in the fading. Thus, it's recommended that conch pearls be worn primarily in the evening and not exposed to excessive sunlight.

Since conch pearls are naturally both rare and unique, finding matching pearls for sets, earrings, strands, etc., is extremely difficult, thus significantly increasing both the cost and the value of such sets.

 
MELO MELO PEARLS

The melo melo "pearl" comes not from an oyster or mollusk, but instead from the Melo Melo marine snail, which is found in the waters of the South China Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Like conch pearls, the melo melo gem is not actually a pearl because it contains no nacre. It is created by a similar process, however, in response to a foreign substance which invades the snail's shell.

Melo melo pearls are extremely large and generally very round. One of the largest discovered is nearly the size of a golf ball! The pearls' colors range from tan to dark brown, with orange being the most desirable color. Also like the conch pearl, the color is believed to be subject to fading over time.

Melo melo pearls are extremely rare. Although researchers are attempting to culture them, none have yet succeeded -- so all melo melo pearls are natural. Although these pearls have been known and collected in Asia for many years, they have only recently been introduced into the West.

ABALONE PEARLS

Abalone pearls, from the gastropod mollusk, Haliotis, are not only some of the rarest pearls in the world, but also considered by many to be some of the most beautiful pearls in the world. The inner mother-of-pearl shell of the abalone has intense luster and a mixed color palate of blues, lavender, orange, green, pink, silver, and nearly every conceivable combination. The beauty of the abalone pearl is reflection of this color potpourri in its typical irregular shape.

Abalone pearls are rarely (but occasionally) symmetrical. A common shape is the "horn" shape. This is due to the anatomy of the abalone. A large, brilliant, symmetrical pearl is a nearly 1 in 100,000 occurrence.

Although abalone pearls are desired and sought after, culturing these gems has been a very difficult venture. Abalone are hemophiliacs, and if they are nucleated in a fashion similar to a mollusk, they will bleed to death quite quickly. Because of this, only abalone mabe pearls have been successfully harvested on a large scale. The culturing process is distinctly similar to that of other pearl producing mollusks, except that much more care must be exercised so that the abalone sustains no internal damage.

Abalone pearl jewelry has yet to hit the main stage in the United States and Europe . The pearl is very popular is New Zealand and Australia , in no minor part due to the marketing and farming by the Eyris Blue Pearl Company in New Zealand . As the industry grows we can expect the beauty of these gems to soon grace the consumers of the West.

SCALLOP PEARLS

Unlike other non-nacreous pearls such as the melo-melo and conch pearl, the scallop pearl comes from a bivalve mollusk know as the "Mano de Leon", or the "The Pacific Lion's Paw". The shellfish garners this name due to the unique shape of its shell resembling a lion's paw, and is native to the coastal waters of Central and North America - most commonly found off the coast of Baja California.

The scallop pearl is a very rare occurrence and is the bi-product of wild-harvested scallops. Due to the rarity of the gem scallops are not sought for their pearls. Scallop fisherman spending their lives harvesting the meat of the shellfish may only find a small handful of pearls during their lifetimes.

Scallop pearls have a unique shape and coloration absent in other calcareous concretions. Scallop pearls are generally symmetrical in an oval, round, drop, or button shape. These pearls range is size from seed to 40 carats. The color of the scallop pearl is unique among all pearls and calcareous concretions. These gems generally exude a rare maroon to plum coloration, and are also commonly found in deep purple, orange and pink.

The scallop pearl has a unique 3-dimensional effect within the reflective platelets of their surface which ads to the beauty of the gem. This gives the pearl a sort of flash effect, similar to the flame-like appearance of the conch pearl.