What are the Types of Cultured Pearls?
Pearls can be classed as
saltwater or freshwater. The difference lies in where they are found. They are harvested in many parts of the world.
1. Saltwater Akoya pearls are found in mollusks in the ocean off Japan and China. The opulent South Sea and Tahitian black pearls come from the South Pacific ocean. It looks as if China will soon be the world's largest saltwater pearl producer. Initially, the quality of Chinese saltwater pearls did not match that of the Japanese pearls, but they have steadily made progress and sometimes it is hard to tell them apart. The small Pinctada oyster is commonly used to produce saltwater cultured pearls. There are several varieties. Three are named after the colour of the edge of the mantle:
- •Silver Lip Mollusk: produces white pearls
- •Gold Lip Mollusk: produces pink to yellowish pearls
- •Black Lip Mollusk: usually provides blackish pearls. Black Lip oysters are found along the coasts of the gulf of Mexico and certain islands of the South Seas--the nature of the water in those areas is thought to provide a particular type of nutrient that results in the nacre colouring. Oysters may, on occasion, become disturbed. When this happens, a layer of conchiolin (which makes up the outer shell) is deposited over the nacre of the pearl forming at the time. After the disturbance has abated, the oyster produces nacre once again, but the conchiolin layer shows through and colours the pearl brown, black, blue or grey.
2.
Freshwater pearls are those found in mollusks in rivers, like the Tennessee River and a huge variety are now being grown in lakes in China. They tend to be more irregular in shape and more varied in colour than pearls found in saltwater mollusks. China, is the largest freshwater pearl producer in the world.
Improvements in pearl farming and scientific advances in the culturing process have produced a cornucopia of colours and shapes never before possible. Cultured pearls are available in a wide variety of natural colourations, including white, cream, and pale rose; pastels in lilac, peach, green and gray; and deepest gold, purple, peacock and black.
