How Many Kinds of Cultured Pearls Are There?
Have a look at the video (in 720p) below for an overview of the types, colours, shapes and sizes of cultured pearls.
- Pearls may be found in salt water or fresh water.
- Both saltwater and freshwater pearls may either be natural or cultured pearls.
- Natural pearls are at heart all nacre, with no shell bead as its core.
- Natural pearls are rare and costlier than cultured pearls by virtue of the following:
- It takes a tremendous amount of time to raise these mollusks; and
- No certainty that these molluscs will produce pearls successfully. Even if they do, resembling their mollusk counterparts, not all natural pearls will be of fine quality and desirable on every occasion.
- Majority of the pearls that are retailing today are cultured pearls.
1. Saltwater Pearls
- Saltwater pearls are commonly known as South Sea pearls.
- 3 colours: white, gold and black (also known as Tahitian pearls), with an extraordinary variety of overtone colours.
- Similarly, Japanese Akoya pearls are saltwater pearls.
- Imagine petite lustrous, white round pearls with rosé overtone.
White South Sea Pearls
Photo by Cliff. Licensed under CC 4.0.
Photo by Anna.
Japanese Akoya Pearls
- Akoya pearls are renowned for their exceptional lustre.
- Japanese Akoya pearls are known to be petite lustrous, white round pearls with rosé overtone.
- Akoya pearls orignated from Japan and are now more commonly cultivated in other parts of the world, offering a broader range of colours, including deep pink and white pearls with warm overtone.
Tahitian (and Black) Pearls
Gold South Sea Pearls
2. Freshwater Pearls
- Pearls from mussels that live in lakes and rivers.
- Chinese freshwater pearls are routinely subjected to excessive processing.
- An individual mussel can produce as many as 50 pearls at a time.
- China later produced Akoya pearls as well but they are not as lustrous as Japanese Akoya pearls due to different waters as well as warmer water conditions.
- American freshwater pearls are exclusive for their rich lustre and orient. They belong in the same league as the finest saltwater pearls.
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At Rebecca Lim Atelier, our pearls are superior to freshwater pearls, luxury refined with saltwater standards.
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Each pearl is handpicked by me direct from the pearl farm. The pearls are cultivated with innovative farming techniques in high-minerality and high-salinity waters, resulting in consistent roundness, excellent lustre, and rare colours.
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With such innovative farming techniques, the yield of pearls are lesser than those of traditional freshwater mussels, making it more rare and higher quality.
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White Pearl with Turquoise Diamond Stimulants Silver-Tone Necklace by Rebecca Lim Atelier.
Trinity of Blush 18K Gold-Plated Bangle Bracelet by Rebecca Lim Atelier.
Pink pearls with light pink and silver overtones.
Pearl 18K Gold-Plated Ring by Rebecca Lim Atelier.
Limited ring collection, each pearl colour is available in just one piece.
Pink pearl with golden overtone.
White pearl with rose overtone.
Pink pearl with silver overtone.
Lightcatcher Pearl Silver-Tone Bracelet and White Pearl 18K Gold-Plated Ring by Rebecca Lim Atelier.
Pink Pearl 18K Gold-Plated Sunray Pendant Necklace by Rebecca Lim Atelier.
Which pearl captivates you? What speaks to you?
Is the purity of the pearl? The colour, the roundness or the organic shape that take different forms? The mysterious black pearls, which radiate a velvety metallic rainbow? The smooth face of the pearl? Or the pearl that is ringed, bold with character?
Lustre and orient fuel the longevity of a pearl. This could be the starting point.
Which pearl are you drawn to? What speaks to you?
It is a personal connection and preference.
