PEARL TYPES BASED ON SHAPES, APPEARANCES AND COLOUR

Welcome to the world of pearls!

 

Pearls are nature’s marvel!!

 

Do you think that there are only white, round pearls?

Think again!

 

For your information, pearls come in tons of shapes, looks, and colors. No two pearls are alike as their formation is completely biological.

 

The shape, colour and appearance of pearls also play a significant role in defining their type:

• From perfectly round pearls to irregularly shaped baroque pearls, the variety is huge.
• The colour spectrum of pearls is equally diverse. It ranges from classic white and cream to exotic black and golden hues.

This blog will describe all the different kinds of pearls, based on shapes, colour and appearances.

 

Get ready to discover all the cool and surprising types of pearls out there – there's more to these ocean gems than you might think!

 

Pearls are unique among gemstones. They originate from mollusks and from within these living creatures over a period of time. To have an overview of pearl’s origin, please go through the blog on “Origin of Pearls” at www.totapari.com.

 

Shapes

Because formation of pearls and their origin is biological, therefore, Pearls come in so many shapes. However, the most known pearls shapes with examples are given below:

1. Round:

• Description: Perfectly spherical without any indentations on the sides
• Examples: High-quality Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian and some Freshwater.

2. Near-Round (Off-Round):

•  Description: Slightly imperfect spheres.
• Examples: Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian, Freshwater.

3. Drop (Pear, Egg)

• Description: Symmetrical shape resembling a teardrop, pear, or egg (more rounded at one end).
• Examples: South Sea, Tahitian, Freshwater, Akoya. 
• Specific shape names:  
• Pear: When the pearl is formed like a pear, terminating in a point. Either the lower end is flat or rounded.  
• Egg: Formed like an egg. More rounded at the wider end, tapering down gently oval variation of a drop shape

4.    Button

• Description: Flattened, round, or slightly domed shape, resembling a button.
• Examples: Freshwater, Akoya, Tahitian, South Sea.

5. Baroque:This is the broad category for irregular shapes. Pearls are not of any perfect form like round, pear, ovate, or any regular form. This term covers a large variety of pearl types. 

• Description: Irregular, non-symmetrical shapes. 
• Examples: South Sea, Tahitian, Freshwater, Akoya, Keshi. 
• Specific shape names 
• Coin: Flat, round, coin-shaped. 
• Stick/BIWA Stick: Long, narrow, stick-like. 
• Rice: Small, elongated, resembling grains of rice. 
• Potato: Irregular, lumpy shapes. 
• Cross: Pearls that form in the shape of a cross.  
• Heart: Shaped like a heart. *  
• Petal: Resembling a flower petal, often flat and more pointed at one end than the other. 
• Wing: Similar to petal, but often with a more elongated and pointed shape, like a bird's wing. 
• Dog-tooth: Resembling a canine tooth, often elongated and pointed, narrow than the wing pearls.
• Slugs: A descriptive term for elongated, exceptionally irregular and distorted. Generally made up of masses or groups of small pearls without lustre or form. They are of little value.
• Nuggets: Similar to potato, but often with a more rounded or bumpy, nugget-like appearance. 
• Haystacks: Resembling a small haystack, often with a wider base and a rounded or pointed top.
• Turtlebacks: Resembling a turtle's shell, often with a domed, rounded shape. 
• Strawberry: Resembling a strawberry, often with a bumpy, textured surface and a rounded shape with a slight point.
• Hammer: When pearls are long and somewhat rounded and shaped like a hammer or a barrel.
• Bird's Eye: A small, round inclusion, a dull spot, within a larger pearl, resembling a bird's eye. 

 

 

 

Why Many Baroque Pearls Have Little Value:

 

Many freshwater pearls are baroque. Most of these pearls are small and have low quality. They often have poor shine, odd shapes, and many flaws. These are often byproducts of the culturing process when aiming for round pearls.

Baroque pearls can be hard to use in jewellery. Their irregular shapes or blemishes make them tricky to set. This limits their use and lowers their value.

Low Demand for Some Shapes: Some baroque shapes are not as attractive or popular as others. This leads to lower demand and value.

Unique and high-quality baroque pearls are popular. Many designers and collectors seek them out. You can use them to make unique jewelry pieces. These pieces highlight the pearl's natural beauty and individuality.

The value of baroque pearls is subjective and can vary depending on trends and individual preferences.

Monster Pearls: An informal term for exceptionally large and irregularly shaped baroque pearls. 

6. Semi-Baroque:

• Description: Moderately irregular shapes, not as distinct as full baroque. 
• Examples: South Sea, Tahitian, Freshwater.

7. Circle (Ringed or Ring-a-Round):

• Description: Pearls with noticeable concentric rings or grooves around their surface. 
• Examples: Tahitian, South Sea, Freshwater.
• Specific shape names: 
• Ring-a-round: Emphasizes the circular rings.

8. Fireball:

• Description: Round body with a tail that resembles a comet. * 
• Examples: Freshwater

9. Other Unique Shapes:

• Cone: Shaped like a cone, with a wider base and a pointed tip. 
• Cylindrical: Resembling a cylinder, with a uniform, elongated shape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Seed Pearls:

• Description: A historical term referring to minuscule, often irregularly shaped natural pearls. They can be of any shape. These are usually less than 2mm in diameter. we find natural seed pearls in various mollusk species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. Dust Pearls:

• Description: Extremely small seed pearls.

12. Blister Pearls/Mabe:

• Description: Not a true shape category, but a formation. Blister pearls attach to the inside of the shell as they grow. Mabe are assembled from blister pearls.

13. Half Pearls:

• This term means a pearl that someone has cut in half. People use half pearls in jewellery. This term does not refer to some particular shape.
• Craftsmen usually make them by cutting the best part from a large, irregular pearl. This part is a bright spot shaped like a hemisphere.
• Two to four cuttings are made from the bright spots of single pearl, each of the cuttings have the appearance of half a pearl.

14. Peelers

• Description: These are the pearls which many layers of nacre that have been peeled away, one at a time, to improve the overall appearance of the pearl. 

15. Joined Pearls

These are the pearls that have grown together, forming unique shapes. These are natural formations and not because of any human intervention in the cultivation process. Examples are twin, double or triple pearls.

16. Embedded Pearls

These are not a shape category, rather a pearl’s formation process within the mollusk and its shell. The pearl becomes part of the mother of pearl, an unusual process.

 

Appearance

 

The appearance of pearls is important for judging their quality. People often look at it along with shape to better define the pearl's quality. People often use them in combination with shape and colour to provide a complete description.

 

The following factors affect general appearance of a pearl:

1. Luster:

Luster is created when light interacts with the microscopic layers of aragonite crystals (calcium carbonate) and conchiolin (an organic binding material) that make up the nacre. The more uniform and tightly packed these layers are, the better the luster.

 

It refers to the intensity and sharpness of the light reflected from the pearl's surface. It is one of the most important factors for many types of pearls. It gives pearls their inner glow and makes them captivating.

Pearl Types based on Lustre

• Excellent/Exceptional (Mirror-Like):Reflections are extremely sharp, bright, and mirror-like. You can see clear, distinct reflections of objects and light sources. The pearl seems to glow from within. Hanadama Akoya are renowned for this level of luster.
• High/Exceptional Good (Near-Mirror-Like): Reflections are bright and sharp, almost like a mirror. They may be slightly softer than the highest grade. Many high-quality South Sea, Tahitian, and Akoya pearls fall into this category.
• Good/Medium (Satiny/Soft):Reflections are softer and more diffused, giving the pearl a satiny or velvety appearance. The pearl still has a glow, but it's not as sharp or reflective. Many Freshwater pearls and some South Sea pearls exhibit this type of luster.

Factors Affecting Luster:

• Nacre Quality:The thickness, uniformity, and compactness of the nacre layers are crucial.
• Crystal Structure:The size, shape, and arrangement of the aragonite crystals.
• Water Temperature:Cooler water temperatures (like those in Japan for Akoya cultivation) tend to promote slower nacre deposition, resulting in tighter crystal structure and higher luster.
• Mollusk Health:A healthy mollusk is more likely to produce high-quality nacre.

2. Surface Quality:

Surface quality refers to the presence or absence of blemishes or imperfections on the pearl's surface. No pearl is perfectly flawless, but the fewer and less noticeable the blemishes, the higher the quality and value.

Types of Blemishes:

• Spots: Dark or light spots on the surface.
• Bumps: Raised areas or bumps.
• Wrinkles: Irregularities or wrinkles in the nacre.
• Pits: Small indentations or holes.
• Chips: These are areas where the nacre is chipped or broken.
• Gaps: Spaces or gaps in the nacre layers.
• Abrasions: Scratches or abrasions on the surface.

Categories:

• Clean/Very Slightly Spotted: 
• Virtually blemish-free to the naked eye, or having extremely minor imperfections visible only under magnification. These are sometimes referred to as "eye-clean."
• Moderately Spotted: 
• Noticeable blemishes that may affect the overall appearance.
• Heavily Spotted: 
• Numerous or significant blemishes that detract from the pearl's beauty.

Factors Affecting Surface Quality:

• Irritant: The nature of the original irritant.
• Mollusk Health: A healthy mollusk is more likely to produce a cleaner pearl.
• Environmental Factors:Water quality, pollution, and other environmental factors can play a role.
• Cultivation Techniques: Proper techniques can minimize blemishes.

3. Orient:

Orient is a special optical effect. It is a type of iridescence that shows soft, rainbow-like colors on the pearl's surface. It happens because light bends as it goes through the overlapping layers of aragonite crystals in the nacre.

• Presence: Orient is most commonly associated with fine Akoya pearls, particularly those with exceptional luster. Less common in South Sea, Tahitian, and Freshwater pearls. Most noticeable in Akoya pearls are those with white or light body colors.
• Appearance:Orient can appear as a shimmering, pastel rainbow effect, or as subtle shifts in color as the pearl is moved in the light. Best seen under diffused light and against a dark background.
• Desirability:Orient is a highly desirable characteristic, adding to a pearl's beauty and value.

4. Other Unique Features:

These are specific characteristics that can enhance a pearl's appearance and value:

• Flame Structure: A chatoyant, flame-like pattern seen in conch pearls due to the arrangement of aragonite fibers. This is a unique feature, highly prized.
• Banding: Visible bands of color or texture that can occur in some freshwater pearls, particularly in certain baroque shapes. This can add visual interest and uniqueness.
• Metallic Luster: Some pearls, like Tahitian, South Sea, and Freshwater pearls, can show a strong, metallic shine. This shine is incredibly eye-catching. This is different to orient.
• Color Overtones: Some pearls have strong or unique color overtones. For example, Tahitian pearls can have "peacock" overtones. White Akoya pearls may show a strong rose overtone. These can significantly impact a pearl's desirability and value.

How Appearance Factors are Assessed:

• Visual Inspection: Pearl experts use their trained eyes to check luster, surface quality, and other appearance factors. They do this under controlled lighting conditions.
• You can use loupes or microscopes to examine surface quality in greater detail.
• Comparison: Pearls are often compared to each other and to master sets of graded pearls to ensure consistency.

A Spectrum of Shades: Pearl Colours and Overtones

 

Pearls come in variety of colours as shape and appearance and is an important factor in categorising pearl types based on colours.

 

 

Factors Influencing Pearl Colour:

 

1. Type of Mollusk

 

The species of oyster or mussel plays a significant role in determining the range of colors a pearl can exhibit.   

o    Akoya Oysters: Tend to produce pearls in white, cream, and silver tones, often with rosé overtones.

o    South Sea Oysters: Known for their white, silver, and golden pearls, with the golden ones being particularly prized.   

o    Tahitian Oysters: Produce a range of dark colors, including grays, blacks, greens, blues, and purples.

o    Freshwater Mussels: Offer the widest variety of colors, including white, pastel shades (pink, lavender, peach), and even metallic hues.

 

 

 

2. Nacre Thickness:

 

The thickness of the nacre (mother-of-pearl) layers influences the depth and intensity of the color. The way light interacts with the nacre's layered structure creates the iridescent effect we see as orient and overtones.   

 

Thicker nacre generally results in rich overtones like rose, green, blue and silver.

 

3. Conchiolin: 

 

This organic protein, which acts as the "glue" that holds the nacre layers together, can contain pigments that contribute to the pearl's color. 

 

4. Trace Elements and Minerals: 

 

The water in which the mollusk lives can contain trace elements and minerals that affect the nacre's color. For example, the presence of manganese can contribute to darker colors in Tahitian pearls.

   

Common Pearl Colors:

• White: The classic pearl color, often with subtle overtones of rosé, cream, or silver.
• Black: Primarily found in Tahitian pearls, ranging from dark gray to deep black with peacock overtones.   
• Golden: Prized in South Sea pearls, ranging from pale gold to rich, deep gold.   
• Silver: A cool, elegant color often seen in Akoya and South Sea pearls.   
• Pastel: Soft shades of pink, lavender, peach, and blue, common in freshwater pearls.   

Natural v/s Treated Colors:

• Natural Colors: Most pearls have natural colors derived from the factors mentioned above.   
• Treated Colors: Some pearls undergo treatments to enhance or change their color. This can include bleaching, dyeing, or irradiation.   

Understanding how pearl colors form and the factors that influence them enhances our appreciation for these natural wonders. Whether you're drawn to the classic elegance of white pearls or the exotic allure of black or golden pearls, the diversity of colours adds to their beauty.