About Pearls

If you want a unique pearl necklace, then you might want to consider brown pearls. These pearls have recently come into fashion for several reasons but are still uncommon enough that you may be the only one wearing them! Here I’ll tell you everything you need to know about brown pearls and why you may like them.

I know a lot of people don’t care for brown, but it’s actually a good choice. First of all, many women look good in brown and because it is a neutral color, it is easy to match. Brown is also a great color for fall, when fashion generally turns to dark, rich colors. Furthermore, as I said above, you will stand out because no one else will be wearing brown pearls and they will want to know where you got them! If you’ve changed your mind, let’s cover what your options are.

The most popular choice right now are “chocolate” Tahitian pearls. This variety doesn’t occur in nature, but is generally put through a two-step process of heating and bleaching to bring out their color. Another type of brown is natural but is fairly rare. This type has red or pink overtones – similar to aubergine but with a beautiful definitely brown body color. Don’t care for either of these options? I’ve got one more for you.

Freshwater brown pearls are always dyed; however, there are a couple reasons why you may want them instead of Tahitians. First of all, the main appeal of Tahitians is their rainbow of colors – generally they have overtones that consist of many color combinations on the same pearl. The treatment used to bring out the chocolate color may make the pearls look flatter in comparison. Don’t worry, the color and luster are still exceptionally beautiful – but if you want to buy Tahitians, why not try the natural option?

Dyeing freshwater pearls, in contrast, doesn’t take anything away from the pearls at all. In fact, many freshwater pearls are treated whether through water irradiation, dye, or heat. Furthermore, they may be less expensive than Tahitians so it’s definitely worth it to shop around.

So I’ve covered why brown is a better choice than you may think and explained your options: treated Tahitian chocolate pearls, natural Tahitian pearls with red or pink overtones, and dyed freshwater pearls. Now that I’ve given you the knowledge, finding the perfect piece of jewelry is up to you!

Though today there are few Biwa pearls for sale, just a few decades ago most of the freshwater pearls on the market came from Lake Biwako. What happened? Here I’ll explain what the main appeal of Biwa pearls is, how they came to dominate the market, and why you don’t see many on the market today.

The rise of Biwa pearls began at nearly the same time as the freshwater pearl cultivation industry in Japan. The pearls found in the mussels of Lake Biwako (found North of the Japanese city of Kyoto) astounded everyone with their unique colors. Unlike other pearls, Biwas were often pink, purple, or purple brown. Not only that, their irregular shape and high quality enchanted those consumers who were often tired of traditional white pearl necklaces.

From that point until the 1970s pearls from Lake Biwa held a very high reputation. In fact, at one point Biwa pearl farms produced nearly the entire world supply of freshwater pearls. For that reason “Biwa” and “freshwater” were almost synonymous. However, production peaked shortly afterward and then fell into rapid decline.

Disaster struck – the “red tide” (algae bloom) killed off many of the pearl-producing mussels. Not only that, over harvesting led to their near extinction. The industry has had a hard time recovering. A hybrid mussel that produced pearls similar to Biwa was farmed in Lake Kasumigaura with some success but now they are suffering the same fate that befell Lake Biwa.

So what does Biwa mean today? First of all, overuse of the term “Biwa” led to regulation in the United States that only genuine Biwa pearls can be so named – so don’t worry, you won’t get just any freshwater pearls here. Believe it or not, you can still find Biwa pearl necklaces and they are still gorgeous. Here’s one thing to look for – because the mussels are often nucleated with a square piece of mother-of-pearl, Biwa pearls often take an irregular, rectangular shape. However, you may have the best luck searching for vintage necklaces as these are often higher quality than what is being sold these days.

If you are looking for a Biwa pearl necklace, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!

Tahitian pearls have recently grown in popularity, and for good reason. Their lovely array of intense, dark colors (from black, peacock, pistachio, to even blue!) is unusual and stands out when compared to the classic white of Akoya pearls. In fact, the range of colors is so large that these pearls are fairly rare – especially black! Have I managed to pique your interest yet? Well, read on and you’ll be truly hooked!

One of the intriguing things about Tahitian pearls is that they aren’t actually produced in Tahiti, but rather on/around islands throughout French Polynesia. They all come from the same type of oyster, though. The black-lipped oyster (pinctada margaritifera) is the only one in the world to produce the intense colors that Tahitian pearls are known for. Though they are farmed in a wide range of areas, only the ones in the area around French Polynesia can be called Tahitian! Before the advent of modern culturing techniques, these oysters were farmed nearly to extinction, and the pearl industry didn’t gain momentum there until the 1960′s.

As I mentioned earlier, these pearls are known for their wide variety of colors. Perhaps they are most well known for producing the only true black (any other pearl has to be dyed to achieve that color) but their lovely orient means that endless color variations are possible. Even black often has gray or green overtones! In general, the body colors are mostly black, gray, green, brown, or blue. The overtones may be gold, blue, silver, eggplant, pink, or peacock green. Black pearls with peacock overtones are the most valuable; however, there has recently been a surge in demand for pearls with lighter colors such as pistachio. Because of the huge amount of possible body color/overtone combinations, it is hard to find a perfectly matched pearl necklace. Nevertheless, even necklaces made of many colors are strikingly beautiful.

Tahitian pearls are generally on the large side – from 8mm to 14mm – and are required to have .8mm of nacre. Anything less is not released for sale. This guarantees pearls that are lustrous and more resistant to chipping. They also may come in the same variety of shapes as any other type of pearl with the addition of a “circled” or “ringed” shape. Ringed pearls have tiny grooves covering more than a third of the pearl’s surface, giving them a unique shape.

One thing to keep in mind when buying Tahitian pearls is that the grading system is different from that used to grade Akoya. The Tahitian system uses grades A through D, with A being the highest. Grade “A”  pearls have high luster and little to no visible surface flaws over 90% of the pearl’s surface. “B” is medium-high luster with some visible flaws confined to less than one third of the surface. A medium luster pearl with flaws that cover more than a third is rated “C”. Finally, a pearl receiving a “D” grade will have flaws covering at least two-thirds of the surface. Luster is not considered.

The vibrant, almost metallic colors that are found in Tahitian pearls make them a great choice for anyone wanting to stand out in a crowd. These pearls can’t help but draw the eye. From intense blues, greens and blacks, to lighter, pastel shades, there is something for everyone. Their unique ringed pearls are also a great option! Just be aware that you’ll have to navigate a different grading system when you buy.

This post is going to be fairly short, but I just wanted to share a video from Honora Pearls that I found on Youtube. This video not only shows the differences between natural and cultured pearls, but also shows the various types of cultured pearls available, including Akoya, South Sea, and Freshwater Pearls. It’s worth watching – so far I haven’t been able to provide any visuals but this video will show you the colors each type has, its main characteristics (ie which shapes are most prevalent for each type) and best of all, you can see what high quality pearls from each variety look like. They really do a great job! Enjoy

Freshwater pearls are typically considered to be inferior to saltwater pearls. This isn’t necessarily true – their quality is rising as cultivation methods have improved. They do differ from saltwater pearls in some ways and you may prefer one or the other. In this post, I’ll explain those differences and why you shouldn’t necessarily rule out freshwater pearls when buying your pearl necklace.

Freshwater pearls are either found or cultivated in freshwater mollusks. They are often irregular in shape but may also be round. They come in many different colors. Saltwater pearls, on the other hand, are found or cultivated in saltwater oysters. Saltwater cultured pearls are always round but natural pearls may also be irregularly shaped. You won’t see natural saltwater pearls very often though! As you may have noticed, either freshwater or saltwater pearls may be natural or cultured. They aren’t limited to oysters either – they can also be found in conches and I’ve read that pearls can, on rare occasions, be found in snails too.

Some of the differences between the two are due to the cultivation methods used. Cultured saltwater pearls are more expensive because they only produce one pearl per oyster, while freshwater oysters may produce multiple pearls – as many as 20 – from one oyster. Furthermore, many saltwater oysters don’t survive the cultivation process so it is more difficult to mass produce them. Something else to consider is that because saltwater pearls are seeded with a shell nucleus, the nacre is thinner than that of a freshwater pearl.  Freshwater pearls are cultivated by embedding a piece of mantle in the oyster so they are almost all nacre.

Freshwater pearls have a wide range of colors available. This is because it is easier to add metals to the water in order to affect the outcome. This is nearly impossible to do with pearls harvested from the ocean. The pearls may also be dyed or irradiated – if you get a freshwater black pearl necklace it will always be dyed, since black pearls are only found in black lip oysters. You will also be able to choose nearly any shape you like as a freshwater pearl.

Compared to the past, the sizes of freshwater and saltwater pearls are comparable and they are of more or less equivalent quality. Saltwater pearls are considered to have more luster, and Akoya pearls are some of the best in quality. However, there are also very strict controls imposed on saltwater pearls so many of the lower quality pearls are weeded out. Freshwater pearls do not have as many restrictions.

In summary, freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls are nearly equivalent in quality, have comparable sizes, are durable (due to the thickness of the nacre) and are available in a wide range of colors. Freshwater pearls do suffer when compared to Akoya pearls but they are less expensive as well. If you aren’t sure which to buy, keep an open mind when you pick out your pearl necklace!

Update: I found another Honora video that highlights some of the main points I’ve been talking about here. If you’re interested, take a look:
Why Freshwater?

When you hear people talk about natural pearls or cultured pearls it can be a little confusing at first. The important thing to remember is that the process by which the pearl is created is the main difference. They are both natural pearls (as opposed to fake pearls) and generally have the same qualities. However, should you get your hands on a natural pearl make sure to have it examined by a gemologist – they are extremely rare!

The rarity of natural pearls is due to their formative process. Basically, if an irritant such as a little bit of sand should come between the mantle and the shell of a mollusk, then it is sealed off and coated with many layers of nacre. It’s an oyster or other mollusk’s defense mechanism to protect itself! This doesn’t occur very often in the wild and even when it does it is very unlikely to form a perfectly round pearl. Apparently only one in 10,000 oysters ever produces a pearl like this so they are incredibly expensive.

Any time you buy a pearl necklace you are much more likely to be getting one made of cultured pearls. The cultivation process involves inserting some form of nucleus to stimulate the production of nacre. Saltwater pearls use a bead or shell nucleus, making them perfectly round but with a thinner layer of nacre. Freshwater oysters are nucleated with a small piece of mantle so they have thicker nacre but the shape is more likely to irregular. Basically culturing just means control over the whole process and has allowed for the mass production of pearls.

So are there any differences? The answer is no, not really! Both natural and cultured pearls have all the same qualities but you will rarely see natural pearls on the market. There’s no reason to be worried about the quality or authenticity of your cultured pearls. Enjoy them for their beauty and if you do happen to obtain a natural pearl, treasure it for its rarity.

These pearls, like coin pearls, are also classified by their shape. The name comes from the days when Chinese pearl farms were just entering the market. Their freshwater pearls were low-quality, small, and irregular – in fact they looked just like the cereal Rice Krispies. They may also be called oval pearls, but generally the name ‘rice’ has been the one that stuck.

Even though the quality of Chinese pearls has greatly improved (to the point where they are giving Japanese Akoya pearl farms a run for their money) their rice krispy pearls still bear the stigma of their low-quality predecessors. The good news is, these aren’t horribly popular so you may be able to get a great deal. They are also a popular choice for beaders because they are so inexpensive and easy to find. Also, because they are generally freshwater pearls, if you’d like a pearl necklace made out of them you will have many colors to choose from!

Knowing what the defining characteristics of pearls are is important if you want to buy a quality pearl necklace. It’s also good to know the defining characteristics of pearls if you’re looking for a bargain because you’ll know which areas you can compromise in to save money and which you absolutely need to watch out for. Recognizing quality pearls can also help you avoid buying a faux pearl necklace if you don’t want one. So without further ado, here are the top 5 pearl characteristics:

1) Luster (or Lustre) is the amount of light that is reflected from a pearl’s surface. It is the most visible quality of a valuable pearl. Why? Because the amount of luster is a reflection of the depth of the nacre (nacre is simply the material that pearls are made of, also called mother of pearl). Natural pearls will have more nacre than cultured pearls because in cultured pearls the nacre forms around an implanted nucleus, usually shell, and the pearl is harvested fairly quickly.

What you are looking for are pearls that are brilliantly shiny and so reflective that you can see your reflection if your back is to the light. Pearls that do not have as much nacre and therefore are less lustrous will seem dull, with little depth.

2) Size is another way to measure a pearl’s value. The most common size is between 7mm to 7 1/2mm – larger pearls will be more expensive since it takes years for them to form and they aren’t as common.

3) Shape is an area in which personal preference comes into play. The most valuable pearls are technically the perfectly round ones we know and love but they aren’t the only shapes out there. If you prefer a different shape, you can guarantee that your necklace will stand out from the rest. You may even save some money if you choose an irregular shape, such as a baroque pearl. Other shapes available are round, oval, teardrop, seed, and button pearls. Any of those will still look beautiful – again, it all comes down to what you like!

4) Color can refer to either the body color or the overtones of the pearl. I tend to think of white when I think of pearl necklaces but there are plenty of colors to choose from, including pink, lavender, white, yellow, blue, and even black pearls, with nearly infinite shade variations among those colors. A perfect set of matching pearls is very hard to find due to those same minute variations. For that reason, it’s best to buy matching jewelry such as earrings or bracelets at the same time as your pearl necklace – you’ll be much more likely to get a good match.

5) Surface refers to how smooth or flawed the surface of the pearl is. A perfectly smooth pearl with no pits or rings will be much more valuable and expensive than a pearl with some slight imperfections.

The above characteristics are the most important when judging a pearl’s quality. Some of them, such as color, shape, or size, are very personal choices and you may be able to save money if what you like is more commonly found. One thing I wouldn’t compromise on, however, is the luster of your pearls! The shimmer and reflective nature of highly lustrous pearls is what sets them apart from other gems, after all!

I hope this helps and good luck hunting for your perfect pearl necklace!