There are so many different varieties of pearls out there in the world and it’s sometimes difficult to tell them apart. It starts with the basics; pearls are either freshwater or saltwater, obviously depending on where they are grown and harvested. The various types of pearls get broken down from there. Among the known types of pearls are Tahitian Pearls and Akoya Pearls. Among the lesser known types of pearls are the South Sea, Cortez and Keshi pearls. They are all different and unique in their own ways.
The South Sea pearl is among the largest in the world with an average size of about 13mm. The actual oysters these pearls are harvested from are also massive in size. They can grow to be 12 inches in diameter and produce pearls anywhere from 9mm to 20mm in size. Unlike akoya oysters which can accept more than one nucleation, the South Sea pearl oyster can only accept one nucleation at a time.
There are a few reasons why South Sea pearls are so large compared to other pearls. The large size of the actual oyster is the first reason for the large pearl size. The oyster is very large, so it allows more room for the pearl to develop. The second reason for large pearl size is the size of the implanted bead. The bead that the oyster is implanted with is much larger than that of other cultured pearls. This large original bead implant causes the oyster to deposit nacre around the nucleus at a much quicker rate than other oysters. Environment is another reason why South Sea pearls get to be so large. They live in warm clean water that is filled with plankton - plankton helps speed up nacre produciton.
There are a few characteristics of South Sea pearls that make them so unique. Besides being a generally large stone, they have unusually thick nacre. Typically, an akoya pearl has a nacre of 0.35mm to 0.7mm while a South Sea pearl has nacre ranging from 2-6mm. Therefore they are hard and more durable than other pearls. The warm waters of their habitat cause the South Sea pearls to have a unique, satiny luster. South Sea pearls also have a very beautiful array of colors like white, silver and gold that are rare in other pearls.
Another lesser known pearl is the Cortez pearl. One of Mexico's prized gemstones, Cortez pearls come fromt he warm waters of the Gulf of California. Cortez pearls come from two different species of oysters – the “Panamic Black-Lipped Oyster” and the “Rainbow-Lipped Oyster”. These oysters produce very unusual colors and a gorgeous iridescence unique to the Cortez pearl. It is worth the 2 year wait to produce these beautiful pearls.
Cortez pearls typically range in size from about 8mm to 14mm and have nacre about 0.8 millimeter to 2.3mm thick. Cortez pearls, like the South Sea pearls, are hard and more durable than their classic counterparts. A unique feature of the Cortez pearl is its shape. Most Cortez pearls are irregular in shape, or Baroque. Cortez pearls can be round or near-round in shape but this is a very small percentage of any harvest. Color is another reason why these pearls are so loved. They have an intense rainbow-like opulence with colors ranging from cool whites to silver, bronze and black. The black Cortez pearls often have a “peacock” appearance with overtones of green, purple blue and gold.
Another of the lesser known pearls is the Keshi pearl. These pearls can be either freshwater or saltwater which is a rare characteristic. The way that Keshi pearls are created is an interesting process. Keshi pearls are created when an oyster rejects an implanted nucleus before the culturing process begins. The pearl sacs eventually create a pearl without a nucleus. Since there is no nucleus to guide the growth and development of the pearl, Keshi pearls are usually small and very irregular in shape.
Keshi pearls, because of their origin, are 100% nacre. This causes the pearls to have a very high luster and come in a wide variety of colors. Many times, a Keshi pearl has a greater luster than the highest quality cultured pearls. When pearl farming began, Keshi pearls were abundant and created very unique pieces of jewelry. Today, Keshi pearls are much rarer because many pearl farms x-ray their oysters to determine if an oyster has rejected its implanted nucleus. One of the wonderful things about Keshi pearls however is their unpredictable shape. This irregular shape paired with a wide variety of colors from white to ivory, gold and black allows jewelers to create some truly unique pieces of jewelry.
Related posts:
- Why Pearls are Different Colors
- All About Pearls
- Exquisite South Sea Pearls
- Around Pearls
- What are the Main Differences Between Freshwater and Saltwater Pearls?
- Advice When Buying Pearl Necklace Jewellery
- Saltwater vs. Freshwater Pearls
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