Pearl Types
Akoya Pearls
Akoya pearls is harvested from a pearl farm in Amasuka in Japan.
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The typical size range of Akoya pearls is from 4mm - 9.5mm, with 7.5-8.0mm being the popular pearl sizes.
Tahitian Pearls
Tahitian pearls are harvested from Pinctada margaritifera cultivated in the South Pacific in Tahiti and the Cook Islands.
Tahitian pearls come in the widest range of colours: metallic silver, gray, blue, black to green, eggplant/red(ish) and jet black
Size ranges: mostly between 8mm - 16mm.
South Sea Pearls
There are two types of South Sea Pearls types:
White & Golden
South Sea pearls are cultured using Pinctada maxima oysters (also known as the silver-lipped, or gold-lipped oysters).
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The colour range includes white, silver and gold. These large pearls are harvested from Pinctada Maxima cultivated in Australia and Indonesia.
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Size ranges: from 8 - 20 mm
Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater pearls are cultured in sweet waters such as rivers and lakes. The largest producer of these pearls nowadays is China using the Hyriopsis mussel, also known as the “Triangle sail mussel”.
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As opposed to saltwater pearls, these mussels can produce dozens of pearls each harvest. These pearls have substantially lower production costs due to the more forgiving climate, their geography as well as the number of pearls per harvest. Their natural colours are pastel purple, pink, orange etc. and they are often chemically treated, processed and dyed to resemble saltwater pearls.