What Color Pearls Should I Buy

The wide range of colors, shapes and sizes available combine to make pearls one of the most versatile gems used in jewelry today. While the most common color is white, pearls naturally occur in nearly every color under the rainbow.

The most classic and widely preferred pearl color is white. The white pearl is considered a symbol of purity, and is often associated with wedding and graduation celebrations. Pearls that grow with a natural white color include akoya pearls, freshwater pearls, South Sea pearls, and even occasional Tahitian pearls, which are most often dark. While white is a naturally occurring color in freshwater and akoya pearls, these types are routinely bleached to create an even whiter bodycolor, and then subjected to a treatment known as pinking. The latter treatment adds the slight rosé tone found in nearly all akoya pearls. These are universal treatments.

The second most popular pearl color is black. Black pearls are relative newcomers to the pearl scene, and are most often associated with exotic Tahitian pearls produced in French Polynesia. The pearls produced by the Pinctada maxima, or the Tahitian pearl oyster, come in nearly every conceivable color, shade and overtone. These colors are completely natural, and except in the case of treated chocolate Tahitian pearls, the Tahitian pearls carried by Pearl Paradise are completely untreated.

Other types of black pearls include black akoya and black freshwater. The important distinction with these types of pearls is that black is not a naturally occurring color, and the dark colorations are achieved through the use of an organic dye. Black freshwater and black akoya pearls do not naturally. The color is always the product of treatment.

The most popular golden pearls are those grown in the gold-lip variety of the Pinctada maxima, or South Sea pearl oyster. The South Sea pearl oyster is the largest pearl-producing oyster, which can result in very large pearls. Golden South Sea pearls are produced as small as 8 mm, but may grow as large as 20 mm - slightly smaller than a golf ball.

Akoya pearls are most often white, although other colors do naturally occur. These colors include blue, silver and gold. Pearl Paradise is the exclusive dealer of these rare, natural-color akoya pearls on the Internet today.

A current fashion craze is the recent development of a new pearl color known as chocolate. Chocolate pearls are the product of two types of color treatments, as this color rarely occurs naturally. The two treatments used to achieve this color are bleaching and dyeing. The first treatment removes color from a Tahitian pearl, lightening the pearl to the desired chocolate coloration. The second treatment is used on both Tahitian and freshwater pearls, and adds color to achieve the chocolate coloration. Each treatment is permanent.

Pink and lavender is a naturally occurring color found predominately in freshwater pearls. These subtle, pastel colors are not the product of treatment, and the colors do not change or fade. We carry a full line of both pink pearls and lavender pearls in uniform colors, and mixed together with white pearls for a multicolor effect.

Akoya pearls may also appear to be pink. This is what is known as an overtone, as the base color of most akoya pearls is white. The overtone is known as rosé, and is most often a product of a pinking treatment. If you are looking for pink akoya pearls, you are likely searching for white akoya pearls with a rosé overtone.

Pearls occur in a variety of body and overtone colors, with some of these colors being very pricey and highly sought after. While white pearls are the quintessential and traditional pearl color, colored pearls spice up your jewelry collection and add a new and unconventional look.

Pearls, whether saltwater or freshwater, come in a range of colors. The most common color for pearls is white, cream or gray, but they also come in colors such as purple, black, pink, green, champagne, chocolate, blue and lavender. Some pearls have stunning overtones that exhibit multi-colors.

Although humans now successfully culture pearls and create them in controlled environments, there are still certain aspects of the process that they have little control over. One such aspect is the color of the pearl. While there are some ways to influence this, most times this is simply left to chance. The organic nature in which the pearl is created means that there are many factors that can influence the color of the pearl.

Pearl colors are mainly influenced by the color of the mollusks lip, which refers to the outer part of the shell. For example, the famous black Tahitian pearls come from the Pinctada margaritifera oyster, which has gray and silver tints at the outer edges of its shell. This is the only mollusk that can form natural black pearls. Another popular variety is the silver lipped oyster (Pinctada maxima) which is known for creating the luxurious South Sea pearl variety.

Sometimes, pearl manufacturers can influence the color of the pearl by using various culturing techniques. One main way is to include tissue from an additional oyster into the host oyster as well as the nucleus.

The most common pearl colors are white to gray, with pink, silver and green overtones. Black pearls are also relatively abundant and can be easily found on the market. However, most of the colored pearls are very rare and it can be difficult to find natural ones.

Pink pearls are highly prized, especially in the United States, but are among the rarest natural pearl colors. These are created by the endangered queen conch snail and as yet have not been successfully cultured. As a result, most pink pearls on the market are dyed freshwater pearls.

Natural Blue Akoya pearls are also extremely rare. Although in the past they were seen as pariahs of the pearl industry, due to their different color and often irregular shape, they are now highly coveted.

Pearl color has a major impact on cost, although there are other factors to consider as well, such as size, type, quality, shape and luster. If a pearl color is uniform and even, it adds to the value of the stone. Deep body tones with beautiful overtone colors are more expensive than duller stones.

Black pearls used to be extremely expensive, but they are now more affordable since they have begun to be cultured. While white pearls are generally less expensive than colored varieties, a natural white pearl would be more expensive than cultured colored pearls. Currently, the most expensive pearls that are commonly found on the market are the South Sea variety, which occurs primarily in white and gold colors.

White pearls have always been a favorite when it comes to wedding jewelry. It is easy to see why as the symbolism and appearance of these stones are ideal for a new bride. They are a symbol of innocence, purity and beauty. White also symbolizes peace and sincerity.

Black pearls are intriguing, mysterious and eye-catching. They are a break from tradition and are the quintessential unconventional gemstone. Black pearls demonstrate independence, strength, sophistication, unconventionality and a bold step out of the norm.

Pink is a very feminine color, with pink pearls or pearls with strong pink overtones representing romance, femininity and softness. They are also very rare so finding a beautiful pink pearl is a steal!

Purple as a color represents nobility, royalty, prestige and class. It is also a symbol of education, wisdom and creativity. Purple pearls also have a feminine touch and an aura of sophistication. Because it is a very rare pearl color, a purple pearl is always eye-catching.

Blue is one of the most popular colors for gemstones and represents calmness, serenity, truth and courage, among other things. Blue pearls are very rare and have a beautiful iridescence about them. They are generally thought perfect for a person going through a tough time and who needs courage and strength.

Gold is synonymous with wealth, class and prosperity. It is not for nothing that gold pearls are among the most expensive! They are the ideal way to demonstrate class, prestige and a touch of sophistication!

Pearls are sometimes dyed to obtain beautiful and rare colors that customers seek. These include black and gold, to mimic the appearance of Tahitian and Golden south sea pearls. Pearl manufacturers often dye pearls to satisfy the requirements of certain markets. For example, in the US, Americans prefer pearls that have pink overtones, Indians prefer cream colored pearls while Germans go for white pearls. To supply for these markets, pearl farmers often dye their pearls.

Once pearls have been extracted, they are often polished in a saline solution and then bleached to achieve a perfect white color. This treatment is quite common in the industry, especially in relation to South Sea pearls.

This a method where gamma rays are used to influence the color of pearls and has different effects on saltwater and freshwater pearls. This technique is used in Akoya saltwater pearls to darken the nucleus of the pearl, thus creating a more unique and valuable pearl color. With freshwater pearls, the gamma rays are used to darken the layers of nacre of the pearl. Irradiating pearls can also cause a beautiful, metallic shine to appear over the surface of freshwater pearls.

This is done through a dying process that gives the pearl a pinkish overtone. Because pink pearls, or pearls with pink overtones, are highly sought after, pearl cultivators keep up with the demand in this way.

The pearl color you choose largely depends on your budget and preferences. You may also wish to consider your skin tone as a factor that influences your decision. Certain pearl colors look stunning against certain skin tones and can be very flattering.

In general, white and cream colored pearls go well with all skin tones and have a classic, traditional look. These are very elegant and sophisticated in appearance. There are also modern chic and trendy types of pearl jewelry that add a twist to the notion that pearls are traditional. 781b155fdc