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Anyone who knows even the slightest bit about pearls knows that there are two major categories ? saltwater pearls and freshwater pearls. Besides the obvious differences, what are the underlying characteristics of each of these types of pearls? Let?s explore these two types of pearls in depth to get a better understanding of what makes each of them unique.

When it comes to classifying saltwater pearls, it is most obviously any pearl created in a saltwater environment. Saltwater pearls come from oysters that are usually kept in lagoons or bays. There are three types of pearls most commonly created in saltwater ? akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls. Most of the saltwater pearls found on the market today are cultured. Natural saltwater pearls are a rarity.

Now, what are some of the characteristics of saltwater pearls that differentiate them from freshwater? First, saltwater pearls tend to be more round than freshwater pearls. Saltwater pearls are bead nucleated which creates a more symmetrical, round pearl. Even though this nucleation process results in a nice round pearl, it gives them a hard bead center. Because of this, they do not have as thick of nacre as freshwater pearls.

The oysters that create saltwater pearls only produce one pearl per oyster, making them more expensive than freshwater pearls. The benefit of this however is that saltwater pearls tend to be of a higher quality. Saltwater pearls also are known for their incredible luster, or shine. In a high quality saltwater pearl, you should be able to see your reflection. Their symmetry and shine makes them the perfect choice for a pearl necklace or bracelet, when many pearls are strung in a row.

Freshwater pearls have a reputation of being of a lower quality than saltwater pearls, mostly because they tend to be much more inexpensive. Creation and cultivation of freshwater pearls has come a long way however to let them compete more heavily with saltwater pearls. Freshwater pearls come from freshwater mollusks that live in lakes or ponds. Most of the world?s freshwater pearls are created and harvested in China and they have improved their methods over the years.

The first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks of freshwater pearls is their sometimes odd shape. Freshwater pearls can be found in many shapes such as drop, rice, round and semi round which makes for some unique pieces of jewelry. The other attraction of freshwater pearls is the fact that they come in a wide variety of colors. They can be found in white, cream, rose, blue and pretty much every color in between. Many saltwater pearls cannot be found in these colors naturally. Now, while freshwater pearls come in many colors, they do not have the high shine that saltwater pearls have.

Freshwater pearls are created differently from saltwater pearls. Instead of using a bead to nucleate the mussel, a piece of tissue is used. This is why freshwater pearls tend to be less symmetrical than saltwater pearls. The benefit however, of using tissue instead of a bead is that the pearl is 100 nacre. This makes freshwater pearls much more durable to scratches and chipping. Another result of tissue nucleation is that one mollusk is capable of producing up to thirty pearls at one time.

It?s clear that there are major differences between saltwater and freshwater pearls. Each pearl has characteristics that give them their own unique appeal to consumers. The market for freshwater pearls is definitely on the rise as their quality and image improves. In the end, buying saltwater versus freshwater is really dependent on which qualities in a pearl are most important to you. Keep in mind that more expensive doesn?t always mean better. While saltwater pearls tend to be of a higher quality, freshwater pearls are on the move. You can easily find a beautiful and affordable necklace, bracelet or pair of earrings with high quality freshwater pearls. So, before heading out to the stores, decide what is important to you in a pearl and you will be sure to find the perfect piece!
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It is and so ridiculous that an target as awful and gratifying as a pearl is a product of an invasion and the self preservation that of course derives after it. When an oyster is encroached upon by an little known subject matter or parasite that aches its curtain, it secretes nacre, a elaborated element that is consisted of calcium carbonate in the kind of absolutely allied crystals. The thriftier the outside physical object persists within the oyster, the more nacre is released and the consequence, a pearl. This special unwitting founding has been one of the most desirable self possession in the world. The Romans opined of it as the outstanding symbolic representation of origins of might, wealth, and societal status. The Greeks, remarkable devotees of esthetics, idolized it for its beauty. In Renaissance Europe, there were jurisprudences on the prohibition of wearing pearls, unless one was of royal blood. Nowadays, Cultivated pearl necklaces have turned the lightest feminine allegories of richness and edification.

The Generators of Perfection

The pearls that are applied in producing Cultured pearl necklaces are cultivated by investing in the soft interiors of an oyster a bead or any soft tissue that is afterwards gleaned, all surrounded with complicated and multiple beds of nacre. A bunch of countries culture pearls. Some of them are Japan, China, Australia, the Philippines, and Burma. There are several types of Cultured pearls, namely:

# Akoya shimmering beauties from Japan and China with colors of warmness such as rose, cream, gold, silver, and blue.
# Baroque uneven determined pearls.
# Freshwater produced in lakes and rivers applying mussels.
# Keshi called out seed pearls as fine as sand grains in the hourglass.
# Mab half round processed pearls that are cultivated against the inside of the oysters shell.
# South Sea large ones produced in the countries of the South Seas and Australia.
# Tahitian Black Cultivated in French Polynesia by expending black tipped oysters.

Flawlessness At Helm

Of all the precious stones in the world, merely pearls want no cutting and shining. It is ideal without any demand for further reshaping and augmentation. Cultured pearl necklaces are extensions of this Flawlessness. They numbered in unusual lengths and fashions. Some of them are:

# Bib manifold strings of peculiar distances.
# Choker 14 to 15 inches extended that touches the collarbone.
# Dog collar necklace that accords around the neck with multiple strands.
# Graduated with pearls that are incorporated in a gradual increment in sizes, with the biggest at the center.
# Matinee 20 to 24 inches long.
# Opera 30 to 36 inches long that ranges the breastbone when worn long.
# Princess 18 inches long necklaces, graduated in flair or uniformly.
# Rope or sautoir maybe tangled or short.
# Torsade several strings are enlaced with each other and contained together by a fastener.
# Uniform all the pearls look to be of uniform sizes.

Cultured pearl necklaces have acquired varying imports in several civilisations. To Hindus and Christians, they abide for enjoy and pureness. To Muslims, it typifies religious Flawlessness. They are immaculate aegis against bad destiny among Europeans. To the Chinese, pearls are the net references of destiny, as was the case in Steinbecks novel, The Pearl.

Envisage yourself clad in a simple but deluxe long black dress, finely sewed earth colored business suit, or fine fitting jeans and body fit black blouse with the ideal necklace decorating your swan like neck! So what a sight! Cleopatra would have been wishful. Go online straight off and experience for yourself these Cultured pearl necklaces at Queen Bee Jewelry.

Baroque pearls are mostly irregular in shape, appearing rough in contour, asymmetrical and not round. Baroque pearls are grown from saltwater and freshwater shells. Baroque pearls are free forming inside the shell particularly growing in the mantle of the shellfish, thus their shapes are not uniform. The shellfish is a living organism whereas the protecting attachment is called the shell.

Are baroque pearls real pearls?

Baroque pearls are real pearls, though nowadays, they are better classified as cultured pearls. Although the nucleated pearls are more costly, it does not mean that the baroque pearl is inferior if the nacre aspect is considered.

When a bead is introduced to the shellfish, its normal reaction is to treat it as an irritation. So to protect itself from the unknown matter, it secretes a substance called nacre. The nacre is intended to coat the unknown matter. In cultured pearls, these materials can come from materials like the insides of a bivalve shell.

The nacre gives the pearl its real beauty. The more nacre it has, the pearl will appear much brighter. The element of brightness in any pearl is called the luster or the iridescence of the pearl which when exposed to light will give a show of colors that ladies find irresistible.

Since any foreign body is naturally ejected by the shell, baroque pearls are formed due to this action. Sometimes the shell throws out the preformed nucleus bead at an earlier time before fully coating it. Normally, the shell cannot stop nacre secretion immediately even after the release of any foreign body. Thus, nacre will still be produced and stays in the mantle tissue. The shellfish cannot absorb this again and the shell accumulates the nacre into little beads. The results are the irregular shaped baroque pearls.

The Keshi Pearl is a baroque pearl

Keshi pearls are well known kind of baroque pearl since it is a free forming pearl without a nucleus. This means that there are no beads imbedded inside the mollusk, hence this pearl is purely composed by layers upon layers of nacre.

Akoya is another kind of baroque pearl

Akoya pearls are cultivated in Japan and have been cultivated for at least a century now. Due to the fast growing production demand of pearls, China has engaged in massive pearl farming too but Akoya has become the largest producer of cultured pearls.

Akoya pearl shells are implanted with several of these pre formed nucleus beads. The number of beads implanted can range from 1 to 4, depending on the size and condition of the mollusk.

Baroque pearls can be formed inside the Akoya shell when two of the beads stand closely to each other. As a result, the beads which are almost side by side to each other will be coated with nacre. The result will be a Siamese pearl, which cannot be separated anymore.

However, the most expensive baroque pearls are identified as the Tahitian pearl and the South Sea pearl. In general, baroque pearls are smaller than other saltwater pearls because the mollusks that bear them are smaller too.

Pearls have long been a sought after gemstone and like all other precious stones they are judged for specific qualities they possess which in the case of a pearl is their luster, size, surface quality, iridescence and orientation. The luster is determined by the amount of reflection, refraction and diffraction of light from the translucent onion layers as the pearl is built up; iridescence is determined by how much these ?onion? layers overlap each other which makes the rays of light break up as they try to pass through them.

Pearls are very valuable and have been farmed for thousands of years with much of the value being ascribed to the enormous amount of human labor required and not to mention the danger inherent in bringing them to shore ? pearl?s had to be found by divers going to the sea bed and individually hunting for them.

Naturally formed pearls come from all mollusks that use the process of creating a pearl to seal off an intruding piece of matter such as a grain of sand (though this is rare in practice as it much more likely to be foreign organic matter or parasites). This is part of the mollusks natural defense mechanism and operates involuntarily. Cultured pearls are made by the intervention of man and are created essentially as part of a production process which deliberately introduces the foreign body around which the pearl will be formed.

The mollusk deposits a mineral, aragonite and sometimes with a mixture of calcite around the foreign body and the entire concretion is held together by a glue like substance known as conchiolin. This is built up and forms a layered structure which seals off the foreign intruder from the body of the animal and the combination of aragonite and conchiolin is known as ?nacre? which in turn makes up ?mother of pearl?.

Natural pearls are almost made entirely of conchiolin and calcium carbonate; they come in a variety of shapes and sizes with completely round pearls being a rarity in nature. Cultured pearls are far more common and they are usually ?pre formed? with a bead inserted into the mollusk which they places a thin shell of nacre around the foreign object and therefore is not completely made up of pearl material. Natural pearls are also capable of being dyed different colors whereas natural pearls are a light, pearly white color.

For cultured pearls which are completely organic in that there is no bead around which the mollusks lays a shell of nacre, it requires an X ray to differentiate it from a natural pearl. A cultured pearl will not show the concentric spheres of a naturally occurring pearl and is usually also not completely solid to the core.

There is also a further distinction to be made between saltwater and freshwater pearls, the former being the more sought after of the two. They do look very alike but freshwater pearls originate from the Unionidae family of freshwater mussels which inhabit lakes and rivers and are distributed widely geographically in both hot and cold climates. Saltwater pearls originate from the Pteridae family of oysters which are ocean dwellers and today are typically raised in protected lagoons and atolls in warm tropical climates.

In good old days, pearl jewelry was the sign of royalty, aristocracy and wealth. With the changing fashion, pearl became so popular that cultivated pearls have been introduced to meet the crying demand for this precious element. Although the cultured pearls have replaced the natural pearls in jewels, the demand for ornaments crafted with pearl have never diminished.

The concept of wearing jewels has changed a lot over the years. Ornaments are no more the symbol of wealth or dignity. Rather they have changed with their meaning and forms. The fashion frenzies of the modern world have become discerning about the jewelry design. Pearls have made new fashion statements for the people from any walk of life irrespective of their age and socioeconomic status. These days, pearls are available with different price ranges depending on their quality with minor difference in their look. Besides, the pearl jewelry is popular among for affordability and availability in the market. To top it all pearls may be used with any kind of precious metals. Check the various ways of using pearl in ornaments:

Pearl and gold is the most popular combination Many women love to design their gold jewelry with pearls attached to it. The yellow metal seems to be a great match with the lustrous pearls. As the gold can be molded to extremely thin wire, making ornaments and achieving many designs are easy with gold.

Platinum and pearl ornaments The feminine soft, smooth, white pearl makes a good combination with shiny brightness of platinum. Ornaments made of such combination add elegance to the look of a person. Women who love to keep in pace with the current fashion in jewels will definitely love this blend.

Diamonds and pearl create artistic designs Glittering diamonds and white shiny pearls are matchless combination. Not only they complement each other`s quality but ornaments with this combination can keep anyone spellbound. Besides, diamond is a coveted possession for women and when it is crafted with pearl in ornaments it looks amazing.

Although, pearls are being used with many metals and stones, designers prefer to customize the jewelry items according to the requirements of the customers. Opening any fashion magazine you may find pearl ornaments starting from ear rings and necklaces to bracelet, and finger rings.

While buying ornaments with pearls, there are certain critical aspects of the gem that need to be considered carefully to get the items of your choice.

Types of pearl The types of pearls include freshwater and saltwater pearls. They vary largely in terms of their luster, texture and shapes. Although the freshwater pearls are available with wide range of colors and shapes, they are not as glittery as saltwater pearls. Therefore, the shapes, color and glitter of the gem can highly affect the overall look of the whole jewelry.

Quality of Pearl No matter how well designed your ornaments are, the quality of the pearl on those items makes all difference to the price and overall design of the jewels. Luster, texture, shapes and sizes are the features that decide the quality of them. In order to get good quality jewelry, you need to select good quality pearl. But, it is important that you can distinguish between the qualities of the pearls.

Design of the ornaments The key factor that makes a piece of ornament stand out is its design. Although the quality of the pearl that your purchase ought to fit into your budget, the design should suit your personality, age, occasion, etc. Colorful and designer jewelry best suits occasions like prom night or marriage.

The demand for pearl ornaments is not merely due to its affordable price ranges, but the beauty that suits all occasions. Make sure you select the right jewelry that suits your personality.

A Pearl … the only gemstone that does not have to be cut or polished after it is found. It is perfect from the beginning, each one unique, as unique as the lucky individual that will be receiving it. What better analogy could there be when presenting a gift of a pearl necklace? ?A natural gem, perfection ? for you.? Those words would be music to anyone?s ears.

Ask women, what image that word ?pearl? brings to mind and you will probably hear as many different answers.

?Some women immediately think of Jackie Kennedy and her signature pearl necklaces, oozing elegance and grace.

?Others think of a sweet 16th birthday, a lovely gift of their first strand of pearls, a gift to be treasured forever.

?A professional woman might say that pearls are part of her standard office attire, simple, elegant and to be worn every day, whether they are simple stud earrings or beautiful pearl necklaces.

?A bride might look at them as the perfect gift from her soon to be husband, as pearls have signified love for thousands of years. What other gift would be more perfect to receive on your wedding day?

?To a college graduate, the gift of pearls marks her entrance into the working world, a pearl necklace, something she can wear every day, adding to her confidence.

?For a mother that stays at home to take care of her children, a pearl necklace is a very simple piece of jewelry that can be worn with literally anything, instantly brightening her mood and making a casual outfit classic and chic. She can throw on a pearl necklace or pair of earrings, head out the door and be ready to tackle what the day has in store for her.

?To a small child, the gift of a pearl necklace from a loving grandmother becomes a treasure that she will keep forever and hand down to her own children some day.

These are just a few examples of the many ways pearls fit into our lives, becoming cherished possessions to hold close forever.

Pearls come in so many sizes and varieties; it is often difficult to choose which to buy. Many women begin with the classic white round cultured pearl necklace, and then expand from there. Beautiful chocolate brown pearls, pale pinks, elegant silver and luscious champagne pearls are just a few of the colors to choose from, each one making a different statement when strung and worn as a necklace. There are classic round, Tahitian beauties, Akoyas, baroque and rice pearls, to just name a few of the different pearl shapes that can be found. The wonderful thing about being a pearl lover is that you can find a pearl to fit almost any budget and taste, whether it is a necklace (so many lengths and styles to choose from), earrings, a beautiful bracelet or lovely ring!

The wonder and beauty of pearls are something to truly behold, perfection in its? purest form?

It is thus inconsistent that an target as grand and gorgeous as a pearl is a product of an invasion and the self preservation that by nature gets after it. When an oyster is infested by an strange subject matter or parasite that damages its drape, it secretes nacre, a preservative ingredient that is comprised of calcium carbonate in the build of absolutely arrayed crystals. The lusher the foreign physical object persists inside the oyster, the more nacre is secreted and the effect, a pearl. This remarkable unplanned origination has been one of the most enviable possessions in the world. The Romans thought of it as the premium symbolic representation of origins of might, riches, and societal condition. The Greeks, special fans of aesthetics, worshiped it for its beauty. In Renaissance Europe, there were jurisprudence s on the ban of wearing pearls, unless one was of royal blood. Nowadays, pearl necklace have turned the freshest feminine emblems of richness and mundanes.

The Reservoirs of Flawlessness

The pearls that are utilized in inducing Cultured pearl necklaces are cultured by placing in the soft interiors of an oyster a bead or any simple tissue that is later reaped, all enfolded with tangled and multiple layers of nacre. A plenty of countries culture pearls. Some of them are Japan, China, Australia, the Philippines, and Burma. There are different characters of Cultured pearls, namely:

# Akoya shimmering beauties from Japan and China with colors of warmheartedness such as rose, cream, gold, silver, and blue.
# Baroque uneven shaped pearls.
# Freshwater farmed in lakes and rivers practicing mussels.
# Keshi named seed pearls as fine as sand grains in the hourglass.
# Mab half round processed pearls that are cultivated against the inside of the oysters shell.
# South Sea large ones produced in the countries of the South Seas and Australia.
# Tahitian Black Cultivated in French Polynesia by utilizing black tipped oysters.

Flawlessness At Helm

Of all the precious stones in the world, exclusively pearls want no cutting and refining. It is impeccable without any necessitate for further reshaping and augmentation. Cultured pearl necklaces are extensions of this Perfection. They amount in different lengths and modes. Some of them are:

# Bib manifold strands of various lengths.
# Choker 14 to 15 inches extended that touches the collarbone.
# Dog collar necklace that outfits around the neck with manifold strands.
# Graduated with pearls that are set up in a gradual gain in sizes, with the grandest at the center.
# Matinee 20 to 24 inches long.
# Opera 30 to 36 inches long that attains the breastbone when worn long.
# Princess 18 inches long necklaces, graduated in vogue or uniformly.
# Rope or sautoir maybe knotted or shortened.
# Torsade various chains are en laced with each other and sustained together by a fastener.
# Uniform all the pearls appear to be of consistent sizes.

Cultured pearl necklaces have developed varied significances in various civilizations. To Hindus and Christians, they abide for enjoy and sinlessness. To Muslims, it represents religious Perfection. They are unflawed shelter against bad destiny among Europeans. To the Chinese, pearls are the ultimate reservoirs of luck, as was the event in Stein becks novel, The Pearl.

Guess yourself clad in a easy but high class long black dress, finely sewed earth colored business suit, or fine fitting jeans and body fit black blouse with the ideal necklace adorning your swan like neck! So what a view! Cleopatra would have been envious. Proceed online forthwith and realize for yourself these pearl necklace at Queen Bee Jewelry.

it is and so joking that an target as grand and scenic as a pearl is a product of an invasion and the self preservation that by nature makes out after it. When an oyster is intruded on by an obscure substance or parasite that harms its drape, it secretes nacre, a protecting constituent that is comprised of calcium carbonate in the build of absolutely arrayed crystals. The lusher the outside object persists inside the oyster, the more nacre is released and the consequence, a pearl. This marvellous unintentional initiation has been one of the most desirable ownerships in the world. The Romans retrieved of it as the outstanding symbolisation of origins of might, riches, and societal position. The Greeks, extensive fans of esthetics, worshiped it for its beauty. In Renaissance Europe, there were jurisprudences on the inhibition of wearing pearls, unless one was of royal blood. Nowadays, Cultivated pearl necklaces have become the closest feminine allegories of richness and mundaneness.

The Sources of Perfection

The pearls that are applied in gaining Cultivated pearl necklaces are cultured by locating in the elementary insides of an oyster a bead or any smooth tissue that is afterwards reaped, all embedded with involved and manifold beds of nacre. A lot of countries culture pearls. Some of them are Japan, China, Australia, the Philippines, and Burma. There are contrastive eccentrics of Cultured pearls, namely:

# Akoya shimmering beauties from Japan and China with colors of warmheartedness such as rose, cream, gold, silver, and blue.
# Baroque uneven influenced pearls.
# Freshwater farmed in lakes and rivers applying mussels.
# Keshi called seed pearls as refined as sand grains in the hourglass.
# Mab half round influenced pearls that are cultivated against the inside of the oysters shell.
# South Sea large ones evolved in the countries of the South Seas and Australia.
# Tahitian Black Cultured in French Polynesia by applying black tipped oysters.

Perfection At Helm

Of all the gems in the world, just pearls demand no cutting and shining. It is perfect without any require for further reshaping and augmentation. Cultivated pearl necklaces are extensions of this Flawlessness. They occur in unusual lengths and vogues. Some of them are:

# Bib manifold strands of various lengths.
# Choker 14 to 15 inches extended that reaches the collarbone.
# Dog collar necklace that fits out around the neck with manifold strings.
# Graduated with pearls that are incorporated in a gradual addition in sizes, with the largest at the center.
# Matinee 20 to 24 inches long.
# Opera 30 to 36 inches long that ranges the breastbone when worn long.
# Princess 18 inches long necklaces, graduated in vogue or uniformly.
# Rope or sautoir maybe knotted or shortened.
# Torsade assorted chains are entwined with each other and maintained together by a fastener.
# Uniform all the pearls seem to be of regular sizes.

Cultivated pearl necklaces have obtained versatile significances in various civilisations. To Hindus and Christians, they abide for passion and purity. To Muslims, it symbolizes reverend Flawlessness. They are idealized aegis against bad fate among Europeans. To the Chinese, pearls are the crowning generators of luck, as was the character in Steinbecks novel, The Pearl.

Opine yourself clad in a simplified but deluxe long black dress, finely sewed earth colored business suit, or fine fitting jeans and body fit black blouse with the faultless necklace decking your swan like neck! Indeed what a view! Cleopatra would have been avid. Extend online forthwith and realize for yourself these Cultivated pearl necklaces at Queen Bee Jewelry.

Pearls are a good material for a necklace since they give both a natural and a sophisticated look. Thus, women have loved pearls since time immemorial. In many families, it is among the heirloom pieces that are handed from one generation to another. Choosing the right kind of pearl has many considerations namely the size, shape, design, type, color, and cost.

Choose a style that enhances your personality

Cultured pearls are the popular choice of many women today. The length of the necklace should be chosen carefully when planning to buy a necklace. Look for a length that will flatter your personality. A long necklace will slenderize and draw out the neck. A short necklace will give a chic and classy appeal.

Decide which kind of pearl to use

You can choose the perfect cultured pearls for you by looking at catalogs or taking time to visit jewelry stores. If you will use it for a certain occasion, you must carefully match the proper pearl to go with the situation and your outfit. If it is a wedding, the more formal rounded pearls may be recommended. If you want to use it for the beach or for frolicking, a free forming keshi pearl necklace may be desired.

Compare the color to your skin tone; you will get the feel if it is not suited for you. Ask for help if you are not sure which color complements your personality. Decide whether it is small pearls that you need or a bigger one.

If you are economizing, it is best that you stay within the budget. There are designs that may not need big beads. The bigger and the rounder the pearls, the more expensive your necklace can get. There are also low priced deals that you can find if you scout around. Compare prices with several sellers if you are doubtful.

Various lengths of necklaces you can choose from

From different types of pearls to different lengths of necklaces, there are a variety of options that the pearl enthusiast can choose from. If you have already settled on your choice of pearls, the next thing to do is to determine a necklace length which would fit your preferences and your personality.

The choker is the necklace with the shortest length; the maximum length is 15 inches. It\’should rest at the collar bone. This type can be used by those who have longer necks. The princess type is usually 18 inches in length, and a little below the collar bone but not too much. Matinee type is normally at 22 inches, and rests at the cleavage portion. The rope is a necklace that falls below the breastbone and its normal length reaches to more than 36 inches. A pearl necklace can also be made into a bib type, like the ones Egyptians used. It is a cascade of multiple lengths in one necklace.

You can also use graduated sizes of pearls, tapering downward from bigger to smaller pearls. However, if you are uneasy with wearing various sizes, you can also opt for one size of beads to get the uniform look.

Go to any jewelry store and peruse their pearl collections and it?s easy to see how many different colors of pearls there are. You can find pearls in white, cream, pink, purple and black with overtones of green, brown and blue. While personal preference is the basis for deciding which color pearl is best for you, it?s important to understand why pearls are the colors they are.

All pearls are made of nacre, or the substance oysters excrete to cover a nucleus in their tissue. The thickness of the nacre is the first thing that determines the color of the pearl. The thicker the nacre, the richer the color of the pearl. Environment does play a role in color variations, but the main factor in determining a pearl?s color is the type of mollusk that produced it. Different mollusks produce various colored pearls for different reasons.

Freshwater pearls are found in a wide variety of colors naturally. The colors are produced for many different reasons including environment, type of mussel and the location of the nucleus inserted into the tissue. Manganese is one element found only in freshwater mollusks and causes changes in the pearl?s color. The Manganese will darken freshwater pearls causing a silver grey effect making a beautiful and unique colored gemstone.

Some pearls? color, like that of the South Sea pearl, is based on the color of the oyster?s mantle tissue that it came from. The South Sea pearl is produced by the Pinctada maxima mollusk. There are two different variations of this mollusk ? the silver lip and the gold lip. The silver lip creates white, silver and rose colored pearls while the gold lip produces yellow, gold and champagne colored pearls. The gold colored South Sea pearls are very rare and possibly the most valuable

Tahitian pearls or black South Sea pearls have a rich, dark coloration. Tahitian pearls are produced by the Pinctada margaritifer mollusk. This mollusk is also known as the black lip oyster. The mantle of the black lip oyster is very dark which causes the pearls it produces to be black in color. Not only is the color of the mantle tissue a factor in what color the pearl will be but it also depends on the color of the donor tissue grafted into the oyster. Different donor tissues can cause the pearl to have lavender, green, blue and ?peacock? overtones. These types of pearls are highly prized for their luster and iridescence.

Even though cultured and natural pearls come in a wide variety of colors, pearls are sometimes dyed. A lot of times, freshwater and akoya pearls are dyed dark colors to give them the appearance of a Tahitian or South Sea pearl. The dyes are organic and don?t harm the stone but it is important to be aware of this when shopping for pearls. If the color of a pearl looks too beautiful to be true, it may be! A dyed pearl can be spotted by looking down the drill hole with a magnifier. The color of Tahitian pearls is even tampered with. Sometimes heat is used to alter their color and achieve a chocolate color which has become very popular in the jewelry world.