Know about Different Types of Pearl Gems

A beautiful pearl jewelry set is something that every woman desire. Pearls’ exuberant lustre is what sets them apart. Pearl stones come in varied beautiful shades. They have been symbolic of class and wealth since ages. Not only are they aesthetically appealing but also have highly beneficial metaphysical properties which serve for the betterment of the wearer.

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Ever wondered where does a Pearl Gemstone come from?

Cultured and natural are two broad categories of pearls. Cultured and freshwater pearls are produced when mollusk produces a smooth substance, nacre, around the irritants inside its shell. In natural pearls, irritant can be another marine organism but in case of a cultured pearl, either a mother-of-pearl bead or a piece of tissue is manually inserted into the mollusk to initiate the process. Be it a cultured or a natural pearl, it’s the quality of nacre that decides the luster/shine of a pearl and thus plays an important role in grading factor.

Natural Pearl

Natural pearl is formed when an irritant accidentally enters the oyster’s tender tissue muscle. An irritant can be seawater sand, dust or another marine creature. As a defence mechanism, oyster secretes layers of nacre. Gradually, nacre transforms into a pearl. Natural pearls are mostly found in the ocean. It is not a cakewalk to look for pearl gemstones in a vast ocean. The chances to find them are rare. Due to the rarity and high demand, they score massive market value.

Also Read: Pearl Stone Benefits

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Cultured Pearl

Cultured pearl is cultivated through a delicate surgical procedure.The technician insertsa shell bead nucleusinside the soft tissue of the oyster. The remaining process remains the same as in the case of a natural pearl. The reason behind the nacre-forming process is what differentiates a cultured pearl from a natural pearl. Due to the rarity of natural pearls, the maximum number of pearls in the market are cultured pearls only.

Also Read: Difference between Natural Pearl and Cultured Pearl

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Common Pearl names

Whether a pearl is formed naturally or through human intervention, there are still many other names to specify each pearl.

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Akoya Pearls are small Japanese pearls in off-white or absolute white color. Tahitian Pearls are believed to be the most unique. They come in wide range of dark shades like grey, purple, green blue and even in black. May be pearls grow in the wall of Oyster’s shelland thus, have a flat back. This category of pearls is mostly used to make ring or pendant or even for earrings. South sea saltwater pearls are the biggest of them all. These come in wide range of colours like white, golden, cream or even soft pink. These are sourced from Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines.

Keshi Pearls

Keshi pearls are by-product of cultured pearls. When a technician implants irritant inside the oyster, nacre is released by the oyster. During the process of pearl formation, minute pieces break off within the body of the oyster. This again initiates nacre secretion, leading to the formation of accidental pearls of irregular shapes. Keshi pearls mostly highly lustrous, and come in all cultured pearl type, be itAkoya, Tahitian, Freshwater or South Seas.

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