Difference between Cultured and Natural Pearls


The difference between cultured and natural pearls is very simple. With cultured pearls, the oyster/mollusk is given a “helping hand” by man. In both cases, the oyster/mollusk receives an irritant or intruder inside its shell. As a result it secretes a coating called nacre to cover the irritant. In the case of Natural Pearls this is done naturally by an irritant or intruder which is likely a parasite or foreign object. The result is the development of a pearl.

For cultured pearls, a pearl farmer surgically places an irritant in the form of mantle tissue and/or bead into the oyster/mollusk. For Natural or Cultured Pearls everything else is the same up until it is time to remove the pearl. This is Mother Natures gift!
Difference between Saltwater and Freshwater Cultured Pearls Freshwater pearls are grown in lakes, ponds and rivers. A freshwater mollusk can create up to 50 pearls at a time. A freshwater cultured pearl is started by inserting a small piece of mantle tissue as the 'pearl starter'. The mollusk then covers this tissue with natural coating called nacre. The process to grow a freshwater pearl takes between 4 to 6 years and is full of peril - risk of disease, pollution, etc. A successful harvest of freshwater pearls is a highly praised event.

Because the pearls in the freshwater mollusk start from virtually nothing (a small piece of tissue from a freshwater oyster), they are essentially 100% nacre. So for a pearl that is 7.5mm, the nacre will be 7.5mm in diameter! The freshwater pearl growth process is almost identical to the growth of 'natural' pearls.

With modern freshwater cultivation methods, freshwater pearls are of excellent quality - with excellent body, shape, and luster and can be on equal footing with that of Saltwater Akoya pearls. In some cases Freshwater cultured pearls exceed the quality of Saltwater Akoya Pearls. In fact recent harvests have brought about pearls of such incredible quality and luster that they are now compared to the coveted Japanese Hanadama Pearls which until now have been considered the very Best of the Best.

The term "Akoya" is mostly used internationally to signify Saltwater Pearls from Japan. And so, Akoya pearls have been adopted in the industry to stand for saltwater pearls made in Japan. Akoya Saltwater Pearls are grown and cultivated in the ocean along the coast of Japan and China. The Akoya mollusk (Pinctada fucata) is implanted with a round bead along with a small piece of mantle tissue and nacre envelops around the bead. The bead implants are made from oyster shells and are usually slightly smaller than the final pearl product. The number of beads that can be inserted into the mollusk depends on the mollusk, but usually not more than 3 beads can be inserted into one mollusk.

The growing time for Saltwater Akoya Pearls take between 6 to 18 months - the slower the growing period the better as the nacre is smoother and even - but the longer the pearl is grown in the ocean the higher risk of damage, storms, mollusk dying, etc - so the price for Akoya pearls will fluctuate enormously with the thickness of nacre and the risk taken.

In the recent years Akoya pearls and their status as the pearl of choice has been significantly challenged by the outstanding quality of Freshwater pearls. The new freshwater pearls that are now produced are clearly equal in quality to Akoya pearls at a fraction of the Akoya price. When freshwater pearls are round, they are magnificent - the nacre is full, the molecular structure of the nacre is tightly bound and the lustre is spectacular.

What are Mikimoto Pearls? The term “Mikimoto Pearl” refers to the Japanese innovator Kokichi Mikimoto (1858-1954). He invented the technique of culturing pearls. He is said to have revolutionized the Pearl industry as we know it today. He had an amazing fascination with the production of the Natural Pearl and felt that “Man” could lend a helping hand to help create this marvelous gem.

He theorized that oysters created pearls as a defense against a “foreign” object within the body of the oyster. So Kokichi Mikimoto began to insert various objects in the body in the hope they would create “The Pearl”. After many years of failed experiments finally on July 11, 1893 his wife opened an oyster to find a pearl. Not perfect but none the less a Pearl.

Today, the Mikimoto pearl refers to Akoya Cultured Pearls. Mikimoto pearl brand are actually Hanadama Pearls and are very rare and the absolute finest in the world. Only Hanadama Pearls are sold in strands (Hanks) of 18 inches or less. These are certified by the Pearl Science Laboratory of Japan and cannot be broken up into say bracelets or earrings. Once a strand is broken up then the certification no longer applies.

Mikimoto jewelry is simply the brand used by a specific farm, processor, manufacturer and retailer and is still a large enterprise today. Kokichi Mikimoto's legacy of fine and unique cultured pearl jewelry lives on.
Chinese Akoya Pearls versus Japanese Akoya Pearls reach a stage with technology where their Akoya pearls are in fact equal in quality to the Japanese Akoya pearl production.

As a result of selling pressure by the Chinese, the Japanese have recently countered over the last 5 years by concentrating on culturing only larger Akoya pearls. That is Akoya pearls over 7.5mm in diameter. In fact now almost all of the smaller Akoya pearls less than 8.0mm originate from Chinese waters. They are now being purchased by the Japanese processors and imported into Japan where they are prepared and strung into temporary hanks. The pearls are then tagged “Made in Japan”.

This is not perceived to be deceiving as this is a manufacturing value-add initiative which is acceptable throughout the world. The only difference is that the pearls themselves are not cultivated in Japanese waters. When you see a “made in Japan” tag on a strand of Akoya Pearls and the Pearls are 7.5mm or less, then it is almost a 100% chance that the pearls originate from China and not from Japan.
Saltwater Tahitian Pearls Overview :
The production of the Black Tahitian pearl goes back only about 40 years. In 1960 Jean-Marie Domard began by attempting to nucleate large black-lipped oysters (Pinctada Margaritifera). He used similar techniques as used in the Akoya Japanese Pearl Farms. In 1965 he was successful with his first harvest of about 1000 excellent quality large Tahitian Pearls.

As a result of this discovery, the first major Tahitian pearl farm was created on the island of Manihi Atoll in French Polynesia in 1966. By 1968 beautiful spherical cultured pearls were being harvested for commercial sale. Thus the beginning of a new industry in French Polynesia was born. Tahiti although having no actual farms became the trading capital of the world for Black Tahitian Pearls. In fact these fabulous pearls are cultivated and farmed throughout several small islands dotted throughout the French Polynesian Islands.

Oddly enough this great industry may never have been started had the Black-lipped oyster become extinct. It was only the result of conservation efforts in the 30’s and 40”s which ensured the existence of these treasured creatures. The black-lipped oysters’ “mother of pearl” inner shell also has beautiful qualities which resulted with these oysters being hunted to almost extinction.

Although referred to as the Black Tahitian Pearl, the term black is a little misleading as true black colored Tahitian pearls are exceptionally rare. The Black Tahitian pearls natural color is charcoal, silver and grey along with various combinations and shades of these colors. Some of these shades that you may hear are trade terms like peacock, aubergine, and pistachio. In any color, Tahitian cultured pearls are amazing gems of great beauty.

Other Pearls There are many other types of pearls that have been found by fishermen, and others. Sometimes these pearls are very round and beautiful. And, if this is the case, then they are usually very rare as well. So, there have most likely been many attempts to culture these rare pearls just like your Akoya pearls. Two examples of these pearls are Melo Melo pearls and Abalone pearls.

Melo Melo pearls are very rare and sought after. They are generally very round and extremely large. One has been found to be almost the size of a golf ball. Though attempts have been made to nucleate the Melo Melo oyster, and culture these pearls, nobody has yet been successful. Therefore, all Melo Melo pearls are completely natural.

Abalone pearls are also very rare and sought after. Culturing methods have been found, but are much more difficult to really experiment with. The reason for this is that abalone oysters are hemophiliacs, and therefore will bleed to death if cultured the same way as Akoya or Freshwater pearls. The abalone pearl is popular in Australia and the South Sea region, but has yet to hit the main stage in North America.

Oddly enough we get more questions regarding people’s concerns that the pearls they are looking at may be too large. Well we must say that in most cases the larger the better! Large sized pearls of say 9-10mm can be absolutely stunning on a petite woman. However if it still is a concern then sizes of 7 to 8mm are the most common size sold and are extremely versatile for use everyday or for that special evening out.

Cultured Pearls that are less than 6mm in diameter are quite small and normally sized for very young girls or exceptionally petite women. 6mm to 7mm are larger and much more popular; particularly in Akoya Cultured Pearls and Freshwater Cultured Pearls especially with incredible AAA Luster. For those bold luxurious occasions sizes above 8mm are the most common. Cultured Pearls are worn for all occasions and worn anywhere. Please note that even a difference of 1mm in diameter is quite noticeable to the naked eye when worn around the neck. Cultured Pearls are stunning no matter where or when they are worn or with any outfit. That’s why pearls are a must for any jewelry box no matter what the size.
length of the pearl necklace is truly a personal preference depending on a number of factors, such as the length of ones neck, how tall the woman is and how the piece will be worn. Where a necklace is to be worn under a collar or close around the neck, we suggest a choker style piece which is usually about 16 inches in length (for the average size neck). This should be from 1 to 3 inches larger than the neck. This can be worn anywhere at any time and can be worn with any outfit and for any occasion.

The princess length is 18 inches long and is a much more versatile length to be worn over or under the collar. However mostly used with the open collar look. This length is not too casual and not to formal. Most tall women like to use this length as a choker length which is quite common. This is the most popular length being purchased today.

The Matinee length is 22 inches long and is intended for the business and elegant look. For the older women, the long length draws the eye towards the pearls and away from the neck line. This length can be quite seductive and intriguing depending on the mood and occasion.

~Pearl Timeline~

5,200 Years Ago - Earliest known use of mother-of-pearl in jewelry is recorded in Egypt, where it was used to make beads and cartouches.

4,000 Years Ago – Chinese historical texts begin mentioning pearls. Specifically, freshwater pearls were mentioned to have been found in the river Hwai. They were described as “not quite round”.
3,000 Years Ago – Earliest mention of pearls in India, specifically in the Rigveda the oldest of the Vidas.

2,550 Years Ago – In Ceylon, which is now known as Sri Lanka, a King is recorded sending pearls to his father in law in India.

2,500 Years Ago – The Atharaveda in India mentions a pearl necklace used as a Talisman in India. It describes a necklace which would have been made of 9-11mm pearls. Quite an exquisite Pearl Necklace today, let alone at that time.

2,500 Years Ago – Persia was a major source of pearls for Greece. A pearl necklace from Greece, made of natural pearls and gold 2,300 years ago, was on display 100 years ago at the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

2,400 Years Ago – Oldest known pearl necklace still in existence comes from a Queen’s tomb in Ancient Persia. This pearl necklace has 3 rows of 72 pearls each and is known as the Susa necklace.

1,400 Years Ago – Filipinos are described selling Chinese pearls in ancient Chinese documents.

17th through 19th century – European royalty regularly wore pearl jewelry in every possible way. In the 19th century when pictures were becoming more popular, examples of pearl jewelry can be found constantly among the wealthy. At the end of the 19th century, the ancient pearl trade ended. Natural pearls would no longer being traded and sold as they used to, and not long afterwards, the cultured pearl market emerged


The shapes of pearls are varied and because they are organic gems they have many interesting shapes. It is said that no two necklaces are the same. This reason is partially due to fact that the shape of each individual pearl is slightly different just like a snowflake.

Under normal circumstances the Pearl is created and resembles the irritant used to nucleate the oyster/mollusk. So presuming the irritant is visually round then there is a good chance the finished product will in turn be visibly round. There are however other influences which include the position where the pearl develops in the shell. This resulting position can cause distortions in the creation of the pearl.

There are three described shapes which experts use in terms of categorizing Pearls:

Spherical: This is a description for round or nearly round in shape. This is the most popular shape on the market today.

Symmetrical: Is the mirror image shape where each half is identical to the other half.

Baroque: These are the opposite of Symmetrical and are irregular and unique in shape.


There are a number of other descriptions used to describe the shape of pearls:

Visually Round: These are the AAA quality pearls in the greatest demand and are the rarest. The shape is considered spherical.

Near-round: These are AA+ quality pearl and are also spherical however not perfectly. They are very slightly off round and sometimes can pass as round to the untrained eye. They may be slightly flat or oblong on certain small parts of the pearl.

Drop: This This is also a symmetrical AAA quality shape and as the name describes it appears like a drop of water or a pear. Depending on its’ size, the pearl can be short and stumpy or long and elongated.

Button: This AA+ quality Pearl is also a symmetrical shape and is flat on one or more ends. This is where it gets its name. Buttons are popular for earrings as the flat size is hidden on the backside of the post.

Oval: This AAA quality Pearl is a symmetrical shape and is narrow at two ends with a wide center.

Semi-baroque: This unrated baroque shape has quite unique characteristics in that even though is may look like drop, button or oval, it is not symmetrical due to it unusually skewed appearance.

Baroque: This is truly a unique shape as it is not rate nor symmetrical not does it have an appearance that could be considered close to symmetrical. It is truly an abstract form from Mother Nature and a unique treasure.

Often times Baroque pearls are described by the terms ringed or circled. These are shapes as described and are perfectly natural. These can be used as adjectives in describing these incredibly unique natural gems.

Often times Baroque pearls are described by the terms ringed or circled. These are shapes as described and are perfectly natural and normal. These can be used as adjectives in describing these incredibly unique natural gems.

Although the lustrous beauty of Baroque pearls is becoming much more popular, the vast majority of consumers continue to desire the Spherical or Symmetrical shape. The shapes of pearls have a major influence on the overall value and the grding of the pearls which is the reason they are should be described in such complete detail.

With special attention and care, your pearls will last a lifetime. Keep them away from household chemicals such as hair spray, makeup, and perfume which can dull their luster over time and cause spots and blotches. To avoid the effects of cosmetics and perfume, pearls should be the last thing a woman puts on before going out and the first thing she takes off after returning home. Also, pearls are quite soft, so for the longest-lasting pearls choose those with thick ncare that can help them withstand wear over time.

Nacre:
	The crystalline substance secreted by an oyster to form a pearl. The microscopic crystals of nacre (pronounced nay-ker) refract light to produce a pearl's color and luster

The best way to care for pearls is to wear them often because the body's natural oils keep them lustrous. Pearls should be wiped with a soft cloth before being stored and kept separate from other precious metals or gemstones that might scratch or dull their tender surfaces.



Thanks to Pearl Distributors.
Precious metal: A precious metal is a rare metallic chemical element of high economic value. Chemically, the precious metals are less reactive than most elements, have high luster, and have higher melting point than other metals. Historically, precious metals were important as currency, but are now regarded mainly as investment and industrial commodities.Gold, Silver, Platinum and palladium palladium each have an ISO 4217 currency code. The best-known precious metals are gold and silver. While both have industrial uses, they are better known for their uses in art, jewellery, and coinage. Other precious metals include the Platinum group metals: ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium and platinum, of which platinum is the most widely traded. Gold: Gold has been known and highly valued since prehistoric times. It may have been the first metal used by humans and was valued for ornamentation and rituals. Egyptian hieroglyphs from as early as 2600 BC describe gold, which king Tushratta of the Mitanni claimed was "more plentiful than dirt" in Egypt.[5] Egypt and Nubia had the resources to make them major gold-producing areas for much of history. Gold is also mentioned several times in the Old Testament, and is included with the gifts of the magi in the first chapters of Matthew New Testament The south-east corner of the Black Sea was famed for its gold. Exploitation is said to date from the time of Midas, and this gold was important in the establishment of what is probably the world's earliest coinage in Lydia between 643 and 630 BC. Gold has been used as a symbol for purity, value, royalty, and particularly roles that combine these properties. Gold as a sign of wealth and prestige was made fun of by Thomas More in his treatise Utopia. 22/22K - a quality mark indicating the purity of gold. The first 22 signifies the "Skin purity" of gold jewelery and the second 22 signifies that after melting purity of the gold jewelry will be 22K (22 Karat) or 91.67% of pure gold. The word carat is derived from the Greek kerátiōn (κεράτιων), “fruit of the carob”, via Arabic qīrāṭ (قيراط) and Italian. Carob seeds were used as weights on precision scales because of their reputation for having a uniform weight. The karat system is increasingly being complemented or superseded by the millesimal fineness system in which the purity of precious metals is denoted by parts per thousand of pure metal in the alloy. The most common carats used for gold in bullion, jewelery making and goldsmithing are:

• 24 karat (millesimal fineness 999)
• 22 karat (millesimal fineness 916)
• 20 karat (millesimal fineness 833)
• 18 karat (millesimal fineness 750)
• 15 karat (millesimal fineness 625)
• 14 karat (millesimal fineness 585)
• 10 karat (millesimal fineness 417)
• 9 karat (millesimal fineness 375)

Millesimal fineness is a system of denoting the purity of Platinum, gold, silver alloys by parts per thousand of pure metal in the alloy. For example, an alloy containing 75% gold is denoted as "750". It is an extension of the older carat (karat in North American spelling) system of denoting the purity of gold by fractions of 24, such as "18 carat" for an alloy with 75% (18 parts per 24) pure gold. The most common millesimal finenesses used for precious metals: Contents 1 Platinum 2 Gold 3 Silver 4 Also, Gold as an investment ,Gold coin ,Silver as an investment ,Silver coin ,Platinum coin. Volume: However, this system of calculation gives only the weight of pure gold contained in an alloy. The term 18-karat gold means that the alloy's weight consists of 75% of gold and 25% of alloy(s). The quantity of gold by volume in a less than 24-karat gold alloy differs according to the alloy(s) used. For example, knowing that standard 18-karat yellow gold consists of 75% gold, 12.5% silver and the remaining 12.5% of copper (all by weight), the volume of pure gold in this alloy will be 60% since gold is much more dense than the alloys used: 19.32 g/cm³ for gold, 10.49 g/cm³ for silver and 8.96 g/cm³ for copper. This formula gives the amount of gold in cm³ or in ml in an alloy: where VAu is the volume of gold in cm³ or in ml, Ma is the total mass of the alloy in grams, and kt is the karat purity of the alloy. To have the percentage of the volume of gold in an alloy, divide the volume of gold in cm³ or in ml by the total volume of the alloy in cm³ or in ml. For 10-karat gold, the gold volume in the alloy represents about 26% of the total volume for standard yellow gold. One should be aware of this, since talking about purity according to weight could lead to some misunderstandings; for many people, purity means volume. International Caratages of Gold Jewellery

Region	Typical Caratage (fineness)
Oriental East (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan)	24 carat 'Chuk Kam' (99.0% min)
India & subcontinent	22 carat (91.6%)
Arabic countries in Gulf region	21 carat (87.5%)
Europe - Southern / Mediterranean	18 carat (75.0%)
Europe - Northern / USA etc	8-18 carat (33.3 - 75.0%)

Rose gold is a gold and copper alloy widely used for specialized jewelry due to its reddish color. It is also known as pink gold and red gold. Because it was popular in Russia at the beginning of the nineteenth century it is also known as Russian gold, although this term has become somewhat rare. Since it is an alloy, there is no such thing as "pure rose gold"; pure gold is yellow and pure copper is reddish. White gold is an alloy of gold and at least one white metal, such as silver or palladium. Like yellow gold, white gold is measured in Karats. Its properties vary depending on the metals and proportions used. As a result, white gold alloys can be used for different purposes; while a nickel alloy is hard, strong and therefore good for rings and pins, white gold-palladium alloys are soft, pliable and good for white gold gemstone settings. The highest quality white gold is usually at least 18 karat, and made up of gold and palladium, and sometimes even trace levels of platinum for weight and durability, although this often requires specialised goldsmiths. Black gold is a type of gold used in jewelry. It is produced by various methods, such as electrodeposition using black rhodium or ruthenium; plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition process involving amorphous carbon; and controlled oxidation of carat gold containing chromium or cobalt. Electroplating solutions that contain ruthenium give a slightly harder black coating than those that contain rhodium. "black gold" is also a slang term for crude Oil. (crude oil is a naturally occurring liquid found in formations in the EARTH consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons (mostly alkanes) of various lengths.)Unfortunately, black gold is very hard and making jewellery out if it usually necessitates using previously-made melting forms. Changing the size, adding stones or other customizations are often too hard for the common goldsmith.