Buy White Cultured Pearls. The definitive guide.

As we have already commented in other articles that you can find on our Blog, if you are looking for pearls of a certain color, it is easy to decide the type of pearl, since you will only have one option because they are produced by a specific type of oyster . For example, black or dark pearls are Tahitian or Tahitian Pearls, pastel, pink, or orange pearls are Freshwater Pearls, and gold-toned pearls are South Sea Pearls.

The key is to know what type of pearls is best for you if you are looking for the most popular pearls, the white ones.

There are three main types of white pearls. The Akoya Pearls, the South Sea Pearls or Australian (in Spain they are known as Australian, but they are cultivated in other places in the southern hemisphere, so their correct name is " South Sea Pearls") and Fresh Water Pearls.

Both Akoya and South Sea oysters are created by saltwater oysters and are farmed in seas and oceans, while freshwater ones are created by mussels and are farmed in rivers, lakes and ponds.

To make it as simple as possible, we are going to divide the selection into three criteria: price, size and shape.

Most of our clients who ask us for advice are usually clear about these aspects, they want pearls of a specific size and shape and have a specific budget.

According to the price:

If you have a high budget, you can find options in all three types of pearls, while if your budget is smaller, we recommend freshwater pearls.

It is very important to clarify here that freshwater pearls are not of poorer quality because they are cheaper. We explain this in more detail in this article. The quality of pearls is determined by factors such as luster, shape, blemishes, etc. The difference in price compared to their saltwater sisters is caused by the greater difficulty of cultivation and relative scarcity of the latter.

See White Freshwater Pearls

Due to the fact that in the early 90s the freshwater pearls that could be cultivated were of very poor quality, they acquired a bad reputation and even today, large jewelers and exclusive brands insist on trying to discredit freshwater pearls , since it threatens their fine jewelry business, since they prefer to sell saltwater pearls, which in themselves are more exclusive. But the reality is overwhelming, the cultivation of Freshwater Pearls has improved so much that the good quality ones clearly rival Akoya or Australian pearls in beauty. Its quality and prestige has improved so much that you can find incredible large round freshwater pearl necklaces with prices over 50. €000

Depending on size:

If you're trying to decide between white Akoya or South Sea pearls, the size you're looking for is key, as one pretty much ends where the other begins.

Akoya Pearls are produced by the smallest pearl-producing oyster of all, so the size of the pearls produced is relatively small. You can find them from 1mm to a few rare exceptions of 10-10.5mm and their most popular average size is 7mm.

The South Sea or Australian Pearls for their part, are produced by the largest pearl-producing oyster that exists, the Pinctada Maxima, so these pearls are generally large. They start at 8mm, although it is rare to find them that small and can exceed 20mm with their most popular average size being 11-12mm.

If you are clear about the size of the pearls you are looking for, deciding between these two is quite simple unless your desired size is between the millimeters in which these two types of pearls coincide, from 9 to 10 .5 mm, here the choice will depend on your personal preference and budget.

Akoya pearls are noted for their intense, “mirror-like” luster and near-perfect round shape, while South Sea or Australian pearls have a deeper, silkier luster. You should also take into account that, due to their extreme scarcity, the price of Akoya pearls over 9 mm rises exponentially, so if you do not have a clear preference and price is important, perhaps the best option in this case is those from the South Sea, on the contrary, if you are looking for the most exclusive product in that size, without a doubt, the best option is the Akoya.

You will have noticed that we have not mentioned freshwater pearls yet and it is because they cover all sizes, you can find them from 1-2 mm to more than 20 mm, so decide between freshwater pearls or salt water will depend on your personal taste and your budget. Round Freshwater pearls of more than 12 mm are mostly the result of the most modern culture process in cultivated pearls to date, they are known by various names, although the most popular is "Edison Pearls", you can expand more information about these pearls here.

Depending on the shape:

Knowing the above aspects, depending on the specific shape of the pearls you are interested in, you can focus on or rule out some type.

If, for example, you are looking for irregular baroque pearls, we do not recommend Akoya pearls. Although it is true that a percentage of the production of these pearls is baroque, they are not usually as beautiful as the Australian or Freshwater pearls, and since they are small, irregularities are less noticeable. On the other hand, Australian baroque pearls have incredible beauty and a large Australian baroque pearl necklace can be even more valuable than one with round pearls, due to its unique beauty.

At this point we would like to make some personal recommendations.

If you are buying pearls for the first time or have not used many before, we recommend freshwater pearls. The same if your budget is not too high or if you are looking for something for a specific look that you may not be going to use as much. On our website you can find many designs with different types of freshwater pearls, to change and combine with each other. They are the perfect pearls to explore and try.

If you are looking for a classic necklace of small or medium-sized round pearls, for a lifetime and you can afford it, we definitely recommend Akoya pearls. If the budget is not enough or you do not want to invest so much, we recommend freshwater pearls, we offer different qualities and the highest ones are so beautiful that they are difficult to distinguish from the Akoya if you do not have a trained eye.

If you are looking for large round or baroque pearls with great value, South Sea pearls are your choice. Australian pearls are the most exclusive and valuable. A good Australian pearl necklace is the cornerstone in a jewelry box.

Lastly, we would like to clarify that because South Sea and Akoya pearls are, due to their origin, more valuable than freshwater pearls, in secretandyou. com, the pearls that we offer of these types are of very good quality, since we do not believe that it makes sense to offer our clients, for example, low quality Akoya pearls only with the aim of making them cheaper, having the option of offering some very high quality freshwater pearls, at a similar price.

In short, we only dedicate ourselves to pearls, so we try to do things judiciously, so that our customers receive the best product and the best experience.