The two types of cultured pearls are Freshwater and Salt-water with the difference that freshwater pearls are grown in lakes and rivers whereas saltwater pearls are found in oysters living in oceans. In today’s times, Saltwater pearls are largely the production in countries like Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Tahiti.
There are various kinds of saltwater pearls-
- Akoya Cultured Pearls – Produced by Akoya Oyster, this type of saltwater pearls is most common in the US and other western markets. Japan and China both produce Akoya pearls. They are known for their luster and elegance. The Single-strand necklace of Akoya look classic.
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South Sea pearls – Pearls are produced by gold lip south sea oyster with a maximum of one pearl at a time resulting in the perfect shape, size, and color. Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippians are the largest producers of Saltwater Cultured Pearls. These pearls are the most desirable and often expensive.
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Tahitian Pearls - They are majorly cultivated in Tahiti and other islands of French Polynesia. These are the only types of pearls naturally dark in color, ranging from grey, black, brown, blue, with green, and pink overtones.
- Freshwater Pearl – US & Japan used to be the largest cultivator of Freshwater Pearl which is now overtaken by China as the leading producer.
Freshwater pearls are most commonly used in fashion jewelry due to their commercial availability at affordable prices. Freshwater pearls are more affordable than any other cultured pearls because of its near to perfect shape and rarity.
Freshwater pearls are naturally white and cream in color whereas Tahitian pearls are black, grey, and blue i.e. dark color in general.
Pearls, in addition to their primary body color, also have a secondary color called an overtone. Overtones are the hues which reflect on the surface of pearls when the light hits them. The most common pearl overtones are blue, green, silver and cream.
In high-quality freshwater pearls, this characteristic is most evident. A pearl's overtones create its stunning luster and shine, making it prismatic and valuable.
Using the irradiation technique, freshwater pearls with lighter shades are enhanced and given desirable shades, which make the color permanent and won't fade away with age. Sometimes colors are also altered by laser.
Freshwater pearls are less expensive than saltwater pearls as they are cultured for a shorter time. However, they still hold luster and elegance, making it hard for people to tell the difference between freshwater and saltwater pearls.
Apart from the availability of freshwater pearls in the CherishBox cart menu ( Buy Now ), CherishBox also offers other real cultured pearl jewellery that can be made available as per the customer’s requirements (Order Now).
