Cultured Pearl and Types of Cultured Pearls

Cultured Pearl and Types of Cultured Pearls

Cultured pearls are formed by the induction of shellfish to produce pearls, the main component of pearls. They are made by inserting an irritant such as sand or stones, in a mollusk shell. This causes the snail to produce layers of nacre on the irritant, which gradually harden into a pearl.

Mollusks are usually placed in specific settings to control the shape, size and thickness of the pearl. Cultured pearls appear exactly the same as natural pearls, except when viewed under x-ray.


Types of Cultured Pearls are:
South Sea Pearls


South Sea pearls are white or silver, yellow, green, pink, blue or gray undertones.
Produced by silver or gold lip oyster found in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Ranging from 10 to 20 mm in diameter, although more than 16 millimeters are rare.


Tahitian pearls come in a wide range of colors, though the dark tones like black, green and purple are most common.
Also called black South Sea pearls.
The most valuable is a greenish black color shade known as "peacock green."
Usually measure between seven and 15 mm.


Akoya pearls, also called Japanese pearls come in white and cream with pink and silver undertones.
Most are produced in Japan, but many also found in India and China.
They are produced by oysters and two smaller measuring only 10 millimeters.


Freshwater pearls are formed from mantle tissue of clams and freshwater mussels.
They come in various shapes including round, oval, pear, drops, domes, and irregular or baroque.

They also come in different colors like green, blue, red, gray, and copper. The most valuable are the pastels, pink, pink and lavender.

Choosing Pearls (the Buying Tips)
Brightness: Choose a cultured pearl with a shiny, iridescent. Find the one that catches the light and reflects different colors at different angles. The luster is most evident in white pearls, but the iridescence of darker colors show better. If the pearl is treated, make sure the layer does not disappear and can be re-applied when necessary.

Size: Select a round, symmetrical pearl whether to use chapters and necklaces. These are easier to drill and thread together and have more commercial value more asymmetrical pearls. Earrings and brooches, look dome or flat-bottomed pears are easily adapted in the hills and sit flat when worn.