EDUCATION | PEARL KNOWLEDGE & SUPPORT


Cultured Pearls

Pearls are treasured gemstones that come from the Earth’s streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Because they come from the sea, pearls have throughout history embodied the mystery, power, and life-sustaining nature of water.

Unlike natural pearls, cultured pearls form with the help of humans. The practice of culturing pearls first began hundreds of years ago in China. In the 20th century, Japanese pioneers successfully produced the first whole cultured pearls. Perhaps the best-loved gems of all time, pearls—and their modern counterparts, cultured pearls—occur in a wide variety of colours. The most familiar colours are white and cream (light yellowish-brown). Black, grey, and silver are also relatively common, but the palette of pearl colours extends to every hue. The body colour of pearls is often modified by additional colours called overtones, which are typically pink (also called rose), green, purple, or blue.

The different types of cultured pearls include Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian and Freshwater.

	Akoya: The akoya cultured pearl is the one that most people are familiar with.    Typically, akoyas range in size from 6 millimetres to 8 millimetres (also written  as 6mm to 8 mm). Most akoya pearls have white to cream body colours. Both  Japan and China produce saltwater akoya cultured pearls.
	South Sea: The South Sea cultured pearl ranges in size from about 8mm to  18mm. The most common body colours are white, cream and golden (dark  brownish-yellow), but you’ll see them in other colours too.  Australia,  Indonesia, and the Philippines are leading sources of these saltwater cultured  pearls.
	Tahitian: The usual size of a Tahitian cultured pearl is about 8mm to 17mm.  Body colour ranges from white to greens and purples, all the way to black.   Cultivated primarily around the islands of French Polynesia (the most familiar of  which is Tahiti), Tahitian pearls are saltwater cultured pearls.
	Freshwater: Produced in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colours, freshwater  pearls are cultured in freshwater streams, rivers, and lakes.

How To Take Care of Pearls

Pearls should never be cleaned in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner. Warm, soapy water is safe to use for an occasional cleaning, but if the pearls you have washed are strung, be sure the string is completely dry before wearing the pearls.

Pearls have a hardness of 2.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale, which means they are very soft gemstones that are easily scratched. For routine care, pearls should be wiped with a very soft clean cloth after each wearing. Pearls are very susceptible to damage from many types of chemicals and all acids. Hair spray, perfume, cosmetics, and even perspiration can damage the pearl’s nacre.