Four Main Types of Pearls and What To Look For In Each (Part 1)

Today we’ll briefly cover each of the major varieties of pearl, and give you an overview of what’s most important to look for.

As you may already know, there are four major kinds of cultured pearls. Each type comes from a particular species of mollusk (an oyster or mussel), and the value of each varies considerably. Let’s talk about each…

	Freshwater Pearls are the most common variety of pearl, and so are generally the least expensive. They are cultivated in vast quantities in freshwater lakes, mostly in China and the United States. Often appearing in white, pink or pastel colors, they are very commonly dyed to any color. Off-round shapes are common. You could say that freshwater pearls are an “entry-level” option, and you’ll see this variety sold everywhere, including in malls and at your local Costco.
	Akoya Pearls were the first pearl variety to be cultivated commercially at the beginning of the 1900′s in Japan by Mikimoto and others. Traditionally, the Akoya Pearl has been considered a “step above” freshwater pearls in quality and roundness, although freshwater pearls have been making rapid strides to catch up. This is the pearl type that often what comes to mind when someone mentions the word “pearl” – they are smaller (5-9mm), white, and generally round.
	Tahitian Black Pearls might just be the “rock stars” of the pearl world. Tremendously popular for their variety of natural dark colors, “black” really should mean “dark”. In fact, Tahitian “black” pearls come in many hues of greens, blues, browns, and grays. While no one color is really “best” or most valuable, except in terms of personal preferences, green “peacock” shades are quite popular. Grown in Tahiti (French Polynesia) these pearls come much bigger than Akoyas and Freshwater pearls, and tend to cost more.
	South Sea Pearls are the biggest and most valuable of all pearls, and come in two varieties: White and Golden. (Ok, so maybe we should write that there are FIVE types of pearls…) White South Sea Pearls are mostly grown in the warm waters off Australia and are the largest pearls on record, getting typically as large as 17mm but even bigger ones have been found.
	Golden South Sea Pearls are perhaps the most valuable pearls in the world when they are natural-color. These rare beauties come from the warm waters off Indonesia and the Philippines. Most people have never even heard of Golden pearls, let alone held one up close (if you haven’t yet, you need to visit us!)

We’ll continue this discussion in future posts of what to look for when evaluating each of these pearl varieties.

If you’d like to learn more before you buy your next piece of pearl jewelry, I would encourage you to read Anandia Pearls’ comprehensive Pearl Buying Guide. It’s a free download you can print out and read!