Pearl Jewelry Infographic

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Pearl is June's birthstone. Fine pearls traditionally symbolize purity, elegance and style and are known as the queen of all gems. "You can't ever go wrong with pearls. Perhaps pearls are a girl's best friend after all." Ki Hackney.

Akoya Pearls

Cultured in the Akoya oyster and primarily found in Japan and China, Akoya pearls are lustrous and are generally white or cream colored with overtones of rose, silver or cream. They are smoother and rounder than freshwater pearls.

South Sea Pearls

South Sea pearls are the rarest of pearls and simply spectacular with a unique satiny luster. They are typically white, silver and golden. Cultivated in the white-lipped oyster, larger than the oysters used to produce Akoyas and freshwater pearls, the size of pearl they produce is considerably larger reaching sizes as large as 15mm.

Tahitian Pearls

Enchanting and mysterious, Tahitian pearls are unique unto themselves due to their natural dark colors: metallic, silver, to the color of graphite. Within this range of colors, they can have bluish, purplish or greenish overtones. Found in the waters off of the islands of French Polynesia, the natural black color of Tahitian pearls comes from the color of the oyster's black lips.

Pearl Shapes

Pearls can be round, near-round, oval, button, drop, semi-baroque or baroque in shape.

Quality of Pearls

The quality of pearls is measured by the combination of factors, which include the type of pearl, size, color, nacre thickness, luster and shape.