Buy White Cultured Pearls. The ultimate guide.

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

The key is to know what type of pearls suits 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 grown in other places in the Southern Hemisphere, so their correct name is "South Sea pearls") and the Freshwater Pearls.

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

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

Most of our customers who ask for advice usually have these aspects clear; they want pearls of a specific size and shape and have a set 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 lower, we recommend freshwater pearls.

It is very important to clarify here that just because freshwater pearls are more affordable, it does not mean they are of lower quality. We explain this in more detail in this article. The quality of pearls is determined by factors such as luster, shape, imperfections, etc. The price difference compared to their saltwater sisters is caused by the greater difficulty of cultivation and the 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 gained a bad reputation, and even today, large jewelers and exclusive brands are determined to try to discredit freshwater pearls, as they threaten their high jewelry business, since they prefer to sell saltwater pearls, which are inherently more exclusive. But the reality is overwhelming; the cultivation of freshwater pearls has improved so much that high-quality ones clearly rival the beauty of Akoya or Australian pearls. Their quality and prestige have improved so much that you can find incredible necklaces of large, round freshwater pearls with prices exceeding €50,000.

According to size:

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

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

The South Sea or Australian Pearls, on the other hand, are produced by the largest pearl-producing oyster in existence, the Pinctada Maxima, which is why these pearls are generally large. They start at 8 mm, although it is rare to find them that small, and they can exceed 20 mm, with the most popular average size being 11-12 mm.

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 falls between the millimeters where 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 stand out for their intense, "mirror-like" luster and their almost perfect round shape, while South Sea or Australian pearls have a deeper and silkier shine. You should also keep in mind that, due to their extreme scarcity, the price of Akoya pearls over 9 mm increases exponentially, so if you don't have a clear preference and price is important, the best option in this case may be South Sea pearls. On the other hand, if you are looking for the most exclusive product in that size, without a doubt, the best option is Akoya.

You may have noticed that we have not yet mentioned freshwater pearls, and this is because they come in all sizes, ranging from 1-2 mm to over 20 mm. Therefore, deciding between freshwater or saltwater pearls will depend on your personal taste and budget. Round freshwater pearls larger than 12 mm are mostly the result of the most modern cultivation process for cultured pearls to date. They are known by various names, although the most popular is "Edison Pearls." You can find more information about these pearls. here.

According to the shape:

Having clarified the previous aspects, depending on the specific shape of the pearls you are interested in, you can focus on or discard certain types.

If, for example, you are looking for irregular baroque pearls, we do not recommend Akoya pearls. While it is true that a percentage of the production of these pearls is baroque, they are usually not as beautiful as Australian or freshwater pearls, and being small, the irregularities are less noticeable. In contrast, Australian baroque pearls have an incredible beauty, and a necklace of large Australian baroque pearls can even be more valuable than one with round pearls, due to their unique beauty.

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

If you are going to buy pearls for the first time (pendientes de perlas, necklaces, etc) or if you haven't used many before, we recommend freshwater pearls. The same goes if your budget is not too high or if you're looking for something for a specific look that you might not wear often. On our website, you can find a wide variety of designs with different types of freshwater pearls, to mix and match. They are the perfect pearls to explore and try out.

If you are looking for a classic round pearl necklace in small or medium size, for a lifetime and can afford it, we definitely recommend Akoya pearls. If the budget doesn't allow it or you don't want to invest that much, we recommend freshwater pearls; we offer different qualities, and the highest ones are so beautiful that they are hard to distinguish from Akoya pearls if you don't 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 necklace of Australian pearls is the cornerstone of a jewelry collection.

Finally, we want to clarify that because South Sea and Akoya pearls are more valuable due to their origin than freshwater pearls, at secretandyou.com, the pearls we offer of these types are of very good quality, as we do not believe it makes sense to offer our customers, for example, low-quality Akoya pearls just to make them cheaper when we have the option to offer very high-quality freshwater pearls at a similar price.

Ultimately, we only focus on pearls, so we strive to do things with care, ensuring that our customers receive the best product and the best experience.