Types of Pearl
A variety of pearls exist and are cultured by pearl farmers throughout the world, it is important to be able to differentiate the various species of pearl. In addition to freshwater, Akoya, South Sea and Tahitain pearls, listed below are other usual types of pearls and what to expect in terms of color, luster, etc. from each one.
Blister Pearls
It refers to a pearl that has gotten imbedded in the mother of pearl shell, so it looks like a "blister." It can be cut out and mounted so the back, which has no nacre, doesn't show. In the 13th century, Chinese were making buddha blister pearls by placing a small, flat, lead buddha inside an oyster and letting the oyster coat it with nacre. The resulting "pearly buddha" was used for good luck. Blister pearls can be cultured in certain shapes such as a heart, square or tear drop by gluing a plastic piece in these shapes against the inside of a shell.
Bound in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, natural conch pearls are harvested from Queen conch. The ideal conch pearl is marked by a distinguished "flame" structure providing the pearl's surface with the illusion of being on fire. >> Read More
Half Pearls
Types of pearls that has been sawed or ground on one side usually to remove blemishes. Once mounted it can often look like a whole pearl. If it's only sawed slightly it can be called a three-quarter pearl. Button pearls can look like half pearls when mounted.
Types of pearls that grow naturally in the soft tissue or adductor muscle of cultured pearl bearing mollusks. Here are five meanings for the word Keshi.1. Chinese reborn pearls are really Keshi-like pearls found in the second harvest, but not true Keshi because they are cultivated, although sometimes sold as Keshi pearls.2. Natural seed pearls Even before pearls were cultivated, the term Keshi was used for these tiny natural pearls.3. Accidents of cultured freshwater pearl process. These are found in the second and third harvest and caused by natural irritants.4. Accidents of South Sea and black pearl oyster culturing process. Natural pearls occuring in any of the three harvests of a single oyster.5. Accidents of Japanese Akoya pearl oyster culturing process. The Akoya oyster has only one harvest, and Keshi pearl sometimes form during that one implantation. >> Read More
Grown exclusively in the United States, China, and Japan, Mabe pearls are hemispherical in shape due to their growing against the oyster's shell rather within the oyster itself. Mabe pearls are mainly used in earrings or other pearl jewelry where their flat backs can be concealed. >> Read More
Seed Pearls
Small pearls the size and appearance of seeds. South Sea Pearls Usually refers to large white or yellow types of pearls grown by the Pinctada maxima oyster which lives in the South Seas, also called silver-lip or yellow-lip oyster. South Sea Pearls can also mean any saltwater pearl found from the Philippines and Indonesia down to Australia and across to French Polynesia. These pearls often are 9-19mm in size.
Rainbow pearls
A trade name for pearls from the Western winged (rainbow-lipped) pearl oyster (Pteria sterna), which is noted for its high luster and rainbow-like colors. This oyster ranges naturally off the eastern Pacific Coast from California to Peru. Some are cultivated as mabe and whole pearls near Guaymas, Mexico. "Rainbow pearls, " which are generically called "black pearls, " are found in a variety of colors: lavender, pink, red, blue, green, purple, silver, gold, black and brown with varying shades and combinations. It's not unusual to see three or four color variations on one pearl. Whole cultured rainbow pearls range from 7 to about 12 mm in diameter and have a good nacre thickness. Their natural counterparts are found in sizes from seed to 30-carat pearls and range in price from $100 per carat to $2000 per carat wholesale. Cultured rainbow pearls cost less, with mabes being the least expensive.