Posts Tagged ‘ freshwater pearls ’

The most traditional and classic type of pearl necklace is either pure white or cream. Although those colors are popular for good reason, if you want a more modern, edgy look you might try getting a colored pearl necklace instead. Fortunately, there are so many types of pearls that you’ll have a wide range of colors to choose from. Exotic Tahitian pearls, golden South Sea pearls, and cultured pink pearls are just some of the many choices available.

Tahitian pearls are known for their metallic colors, wonderful orient, and interesting ringed shape. If you want a black pearl necklace, these are the pearls for you! This type of pearl is also available in peacock (black/grey/green), aubergine (eggplant), bronze, and pistachio. Recent years have also seen the rise of the Tahitian chocolate pearl, a color made possible by a unique bleach and heat treatment process. These pearls are slightly more expensive, but always high quality.

South Sea pearls are not only the largest and most expensive pearls, but also the only pearls available in gold. These pearls tend to have a much softer, almost creamy luster when compared to Akoya pearls – something you’ll notice if you ever get the chance to compare white Akoya and South Sea pearls side by side. South Sea pearls have a thick nacre due partly to their size and partly to the strict quality imposed on them by the government.

Finally, freshwater pearls are the cheapest and most widely available option for colored pearls. Most freshwater pearls these days come from China but at one point the United States also had a thriving pearl industry. Because these pearls are mass-produced, you can expect to pay much less for them than for Akoya pearls of equivalent quality. Chinese pearl farms are constantly improving their technique, quality, and color selection.

Believe it or not, pink, lavender, bronze, and light green are all natural colors for freshwater pearls. This variety can also be dyed easily, so if you are looking for blue, deep purple, red, or any other color, you can be sure to find a colored pearl necklace to your liking.

I should note that other types of pearls are dyed as well, but many people in the industry feel that doing so is a waste and destroys the integrity and quality that many saltwater pearls are known for. You should also know that some companies will sell freshwater peacock pearls without mentioning that they are dyed. Before buying anything online, make sure to take a close look at the fine print! If you educate yourself and know exactly what you want, you’ll be able to find the perfect colored pearl necklace for you.

Drop pearls are another unique type of pearl categorized by their shape (much like coin and rice pearls). Rather than being completely round or spherical, these may be either pear or teardrop shaped, depending in part on their origin. The ‘drop’ part of the pearl may be long or it may be on the shorter side but these pearls are always symmetrical, which is a huge part of their appeal. I personally like the ones that look like raindrops.

So what types of drop pearls are available? Truth be told, most of the drop pearls on the market today are freshwater. This isn’t a bad thing – freshwater pearls come in many colors, and can be easily dyed to produce rare (brown for example) or nearly impossible colors – think deep purple or cranberry red. Not only that, but freshwater pearls are widely available and of comparable quality to their saltwater counterparts.

You can also find both Tahitian and South Sea drop pearls, with Tahitian being slightly easier to find (and possibly less expensive too!). Most of the Tahitian drop pearls I’ve seen online are in peacock – however, Tahitians come in so many different colors that with a little searching you may be able to find others.

I’ve heard of baroque Akoyas that are close to drop pearls, but was unable to find any when I looked. Generally speaking, the quality control on Akoya pearls is strict enough that there may be very few drop pearls on the market.

Drop pearls are most often found in earrings or pendants (try looking for a single pearl necklace if nothing turns up when you search for pendants). Traditional pearl strands made entirely of drop pearls are harder to find but they do exist and seem to mostly consist of Tahitians. You might also try looking for a floating pearl or tin cup necklace made entirely of drop pearls for a very unique look. No matter what you choose, these pearls really bring attention to your face and will help you stand out from the crowd.

While it may be easier to find round pearls due to their popularity and value, shopping online makes things much easier. The downside is that some online retailers make false claims so it can be hard to know who you can trust. Here are some reputable companies that carry drop pearls:

• Pearl Paradise
• Pure Pearls
• The Pearl Outlet
• Pearls of Joy

Good luck finding the right pearls for you!

(I’m not affiliated with the above retailers but I have seen them discussed around the web. Generally all four sites have a very good reputation but as always, exercise caution!)

Classic pearl necklaces are a wardrobe essential, but every now and then you need a change. Not every occasion calls for the formality some pearl necklaces can project; some people also have negative associations regarding pearl necklaces and believe that they can look old-fashioned or just make you look older than you are. Coin pearls are a great alternative for whenever you might want to seem youthful and modern; they are also considered one of the more feminine shapes, and are widely available.

Coin pearls are part of a group of pearls that are classified by their shape. (Others include baroque, drop, and rice pearls.) Like the name suggests, coin pearls are cultivated in the shape of coins so that they are round but flat with soft edges. These are usually freshwater pearls so there are a wide array of colors available; however coin pearls are most often white.

Coin pearls have become very popular with young women today, which means that if you would like a coin pearl necklace you will have plenty of options! I believe their appeal stems from the fact that they are modern, project a fresh, youthful vibe, and avoid some of the stereotypes associated with pearl strands. Unlike traditional pearl necklaces, no one says that coin pearl necklaces can’t be worn by younger women or teens. If you ever feel that traditional necklaces age or date you, coin pearls may work very well as an alternative. They also make great earrings for much the same reasons I listed above.

In fact, coin pearl necklaces are a good choice for many different occasions, with some caveats. First of all, they tend to project femininity rather than power so keep that in mind. You may not want to wear coin pearls when you are heading up a business meeting depending on what image you are trying to project. Also, these pearl necklaces are very delicate in appearance so you don’t want to pair them with clothes that may overwhelm them (so stay away from clothes that are too bold when wearing this type of pearls). However, these pearls are wonderful any time you want to look feminine and modern, so keep them in mind for weddings, dates, or feminine, romantic attire.

Though you might not want to wear them everywhere, it’s definitely worth keeping some coin pearls in your collection. They are unique, modern, feminine, and most of all, they’ll make you stand out in a crowd.

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!

Pearl origins

A pearl is one of the only gems to come from a living organism, making them very valuable. There’s a reason the phrase “like pearls before swine” exists – pearls were at one time so incredibly rare that only the nobility or the extremely wealthy could afford to have them. Pearls are most often made by mollusks such as oysters but they may also be found in snails, conchs and other organisms. The process is generally the same – however, some organisms produce pearls that aren’t made of nacre. (I’ll explain nacre in a minute)

Basically, a small irritant gets into the mollusk’s mantle. It could be as small or smaller than a single grain of sand, but the mollusk will attempt to “quarantine” the irritant by covering it with nacre. Nacre, also called mother of pearl, is the substance that lines the inside of its shell. Over time, layers upon layers of nacre form around the foreign object, forming a pearl. This doesn’t happen very often – in fact, only one in ten thousand oysters ever produces a pearl naturally – and marketable pearls (round, with good luster and surface quality) are even more rare and valuable. You may be wondering why, if that is the case, are there so many pearls on the market? The reason all comes down to cultivation methods that make mass production possible. Most of the pearls you will find these days are cultured and without that process your pearl necklace would most likely not exist.

Cultured pearls and cultivation methods

Freshwater and saltwater pearls have different methods but they both result in a process that artificially stimulates the same process that would occur naturally. This means that they are all natural pearls(versus fake, faux, simulated, etc.) but they are less valuable because there are so many on the market.  Let’s take a quick look at the different methods for each.

Saltwater pearls use what is called ‘bead nucleation.’ A bead, piece of shell, or other small round object is inserted into the oyster’s mantle. The oyster then, as in nature, forms layers of nacre around the nucleated object. Because round beads are often used, saltwater pearls are more likely to be spherical than freshwater. However, each oyster only produces one pearl and depending on the species, survival rates can be low.

Freshwater pearls, on the other hand, use a small piece of mantle tissue to begin pearl formation process. As above, the mantle is inserted in the oyster, then harvested at a later date. Freshwater oysters tend to produce as many as twenty pearls from one oyster! Furthermore, the water can be irradiated to change the color very easily. Their quality is more or less equivalent to saltwater with a slight tendency to irregularity in shape.

Types of Pearls

There are a few main types of pearls on the market. These are mostly named according to region, though in general you may see references to freshwater or saltwater, which I have covered above.

Akoya: These are high quality Japanese (or Chinese) saltwater pearls. They tend to be smaller than some of the other varieties but make up for it with their extremely high quality. Colors tend to be white with rose, ivory, cream, or silver overtones, making them one of the best choices for a classic pearl necklace.

Tahitian:  The name is misleading as there are no pearl farms actually located in Tahiti. Instead pearls are harvested from all over French Polynesia. These are known for their intense, dark, often metallic colors. The black-lipped oyster which produces these pearls is the only one in the world to produce a true black. Other colors include peacock, pistachio, blue, brown, grey, and aubergine.

South Sea: South Sea Pearls are produced in the area between Australia and China. Known for their rich, warm, colors (most often gold), South Sea pearls are also among the largest on the market. Their average size is 13mm though they may also produce pearls as large as 20mm. (For reference, the average pearl size in a necklace is 7-8mm.) These pearls also have a very thick nacre, making them extremely beautiful as well as very durable.

Cortez: In the 1500s, the Gulf of California was known as the sea of pearls, and the pearls harvested from the region were in high demand. However, due to over-fishing the Panama black-lipped and rainbow-lipped oysters were hunted nearly to extinction. Nowadays the only marine cultured pearl farm is located there. They are known for their intense colors and are the only pearls qualified for the “Fair Trade Gems” protocols.

Conch Pearls: These pearls are not actually made of nacre, but are highly valued. They are produced by the Queen Conch mollusk which lives in the Caribbean. Since they cannot be cultured (yet) conch pearls are found very rarely. They are known for their pink colors and unique “flame” pattern.

Melo Melo Pearls: Like the conch above, these are also non-nacreous. They come from a marine snail called the melo melo, which lives in the South China Sea. Again, these are very rare because there is no known cultivation method. Melo melo pearls are best known for their size (very large) and shape (very round). The most valuable color is orange.

Abalone Pearls: These natural pearls are found in the Hailiotis abalone (also called the paua by New Zealanders.) Though they can be cultured, it is a very difficult process – abalone are hemophiliacs! One single nick while nucleating could kill them. For that reason, only mabe pearls can be produced successfully. A beautiful iridescent blue is the most common color and they are popular in New Zealand and Australia, though not yet in the Western Hemisphere.

Scallop Pearls: Like the conch and melo melo, these are not made of nacre but are produced by a similar process. They are found in the “Pacific Lion’s Paw” mollusk which lives in the waters around North and Central America. Scallop pearls are often maroon, plum, orange, and pink, and are very rare.

Though I have listed many different types, the most common are freshwater (usually from China), Akoya, Tahitian, and South Sea.

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!