Natural Pearls vs. cultured pearls
What you're looking for are Cultured Pearls. Unless, of course, you are a Hollywood actor, a member of nobility, or a magnate of a large industry. Then you might want natural pearls.
All the pearls you see in jewelry stores, even in the most exclusive ones, are cultured pearls. Natural pearls are usually sold at auctions and their price can reach exorbitant figures.
Natural saltwater pearls showcased at the Hong Kong International Jewelry Fair
The confusion is simple; the expression "Natural Pearl" is incorrectly used to clarify that it is not an imitation pearl, but that is not the true meaning of "Natural Pearl."
The natural pearls o wild are found by oyster gatherers, purely by chance. It takes opening about 10,000 oysters to find a natural pearl of decent quality.
It is this scarcity that gives them their high price, not necessarily their beauty.
The cultured pearls they are pearls royals that are cultivated inside oysters or real mussels in pearl farms in Japan, Australia, Indonesia, China, and many other places, most of them in Asia.
Tahitian cultured pearl farm in French Polynesia
On the other hand, and this is where more confusion arises, some non-specialized jewelers refer to "Cultured Pearls" as some of the different types that exist. In certain cases, they call "cultured pearls" to the cultured freshwater pearls, and to the Japanese Akoya and to the australian "Saltwater pearls"; in other cases, they are referred to as "Cultivated Pearls" for Japanese Akoya, as they were the first pearls to be cultivated.
The conclusion is that when buying pearls, what you are looking for are cultured pearls. The question is to decide which type of cultured pearls you are interested in.
Below is a brief description of the 4 main types of cultured pearls.
Cultured freshwater pearls
If someone offers cultured pearls but it does not indicate the type of pearl, it is about cultured freshwater pearls.
They are the most popular pearls currently, thanks to their price and the variety of shapes, sizes, and colors available.
Freshwater cultured pearls can be pink, orange, and purple in addition to white, naturally, without any type of treatment.
Freshwater pearls used to be of very low quality twenty years ago, but today pearls are being produced that rival the quality of the best saltwater pearls.
If you want to learn more about freshwater cultured pearls, visit our article here.
Japanese Akoya cultured pearls
When you think of the typical white, round pearl, not very large and with a very intense shine, you are thinking of a pearl. Akoya.
The Japanese pearls They stand out for their intense shine and their almost perfect round shape.
Historically, they have been cultivated on the coasts of Japan, although they are currently also grown on the coasts of China; however, the latter have a somewhat less intense shine.
If you want to learn more about cultured pearls Japanese Akoya visit our article here.
Japanese Akoya cultured pearl strands with a great luster.
Tahitian black pearls
It is unique "black" pearls by nature. It is important to understand that the term "black" is used to describe pearls of dark tones, including silver, gray, green, blue, brown, and purple, not necessarily pure black.
Despite their name, they are not actually grown in Tahiti, but rather on nearby islands in "atolls" of saltwater off the coast of French Polynesia and Fiji.
If you want to learn more about the Tahitian cultured pearls visit our article here.
Tahitian pearls in one of the oysters that create them, the Pinctada Margaritifera.
They are large and exotic pearls that just 20 years ago were sold at very high prices. Today, with the increase in production, they can be found at a much more affordable price.
Australian Pearls
The "Queen of Gems" and the rarest of all cultured pearls. They are cultivated in saltwater in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
They are large, white or golden pearls, with a deep silky shine.
If you want the best pearls you can find, Australian pearls are what you're looking for. Take a look here to our collection of these fantastic and luxurious pearls.
If you also want to learn a little more about Australian cultured pearls, visit our article here.
Exclusive Australian pearl necklace ranging from 17 to 20 mm showcased at the Hong Kong International Jewelry Fair, pearls over 15 mm are truly rare.
