Whenever you purchase cultured pearls from your local jeweler you will often be met with some jargons and terminologies that you might not be that familiar with.

1. Knowing the Different Types of Cultured Pearls
Whenever you purchase cultured pearls from your local jeweler you will often be met with some jargons
and terminologies that you might not be that familiar with. Terms such as Akoya, South Sea, and
Freshwater pearls might all seem foreign to you so it is best to have an idea of what they all mean as this
will help you out the next time you decide to shop for pearls. By knowing the different types of pearls
available, you will be able to tell which ones are more expensive and this in turn will help you become a
better spender in the process.
Akoya Pearls
This pearl is perhaps the most well-known type that is produced by the Akoya oyster of Japan. Even
though most of these pearls are still being produced in Japan, there are now a pretty significant amount
of them that are being cultured in China and India. The oyster from which it comes from is not as big as
the Australian silver lipped oyster and measures only 6 to 9 cm across. They implant smaller nuclei into
the Akoya oyster so that it has a measurement that ranges from 2 to 10 mm in diameter.
South Sea Pearls
These pearls are mostly cultured in the waters of the Philippines, Australia, and Indonesia. Pearls taken
from the waters of Tahiti and French Polynesia can sometimes be mistaken for them and even get
labelled as black South Sea pearls. These two pearl types can be distinguished based on the oysters that
they are taken from. The gold or silver lipped pearl oyster is where the South Sea pearls are cultivated in
and they usually come in colors of white or silver. There are also others that have a shade of blue-gray
or yellow with some green or pink overtones.
Black South Sea Pearls
Also known as Tahitian pearls, these are cultured in the waters of Tahiti and French Polynesia and are
grown in black lipped oysters. This particular species of oyster can be found in the waters of the two
aforementioned areas above and the pearl itself is known for its wide array of colors which range from
black, green, and the very rare and highly sought after peacock green. If you want to know more, then
you can go to http://www.nationalpearl.com.