The Three Components to Pearl Color are:
- 1. Body color: the overall color of the pearl.
- 2. Overtone: refers to one or more noticeable translucent colors that overlie the bodycolor.
- 3. Orient: a form of iridescence that appears to be on or just below the surface. Iridescence increases the value of a pearl. Iridescence and high lustre are interrelated.
Not all characteristics are usually displayed in a pearl. Color is irrelevant to a pearl's value since the choice of color is a matter of personal taste. However, popularity does have an impact on price. The choice of color should be based on what will look best on the person who will wear the pearls. Pearls have a range of hues that complements all colors of skin, hair and eyes.
Akoya Pearls
Americans tend to like pink/rose pearls. Europeans prefer cream or white. Middle Easterners and South Americans like cream and gold.
South Sea Pearls
South Sea pearls come from the Pinctada Maxima mollusk. The variety called the silver lip mollusk, found mainly in the pristine waters around Australia, especially along the north west coast, produces the classic silver-white and rare white-rose pearls. The variety called the gold-lip mollusk, found around Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, produces beautiful shimmering gold or cream-color pearls.
Black Pearls
Black pearls come in a wide range of body colors and overtones. It is important to know that black pearls are not always black. They are called black because they are produced by the black-lipped mollusk.
Body colors can be black, gray, blue, green, or brown. Overtone colors can be pink, blue, gold, silver, and reddish purple called "aubergine", which is the French word for eggplant. These overtones are considered a definite plus and may be present in a variety of combinations.
The finest black pearls are thought to have an evenly distributed green overtone with a black body color which is called "peacock green" or "pistachio". Some of these black pearls also have reddish purple highlights that are very desirable. Color, remember, is a matter of taste. Generally, the darker the black pearl, the more valuable it is. A solid black pearl with no overtone however, may cost 50% less than one of similar quality with green overtones. Pearls with muddy colors are undesirable.
You should know that pearls that look black may be natural or dyed. Learn more about this at the end of this section.
Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater pearls come in an array of beautiful natural colors: pink, lavender, peach, orange, yellow, gray, bronze white and silver etc. Some are bicolored. They usually have a high lustre with overtone colors such as pink, silver and blue, that make them more valuable. The body color of these pearls does not affect price as much as it does that of saltwater pearls.
