A pearl highly appreciates for its natural shine. These are the only gemstones that are admired worldwide. Today pearls, not only used in making jewelry but also used for making handbags, footwear, dresses, and many more. Identically, pearls find deep inside the sea by the divers. Of course, with the help of modern technologies, pearls can find easily as compare to ancient time. So, they even start cultivating by human beings.
Living creatures named – oysters or mollusks produce the pearls. And, they normally grow in pollution-free water. However, a natural pearl is still very rare to find, but cultured pearls are easily available. Let’s now more about the two different types of pearls that are Natural pearls and cultured pearls.
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natural-pearl Natural Pearls
Natural pearls (Sucha Moti) are the pearls that form naturally without using manpower. Hence, they are very rare and expensive.
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Formation of Natural Pearls
Natural pearls format without the involvement of mankind by following a natural procedure. They normally find in unpolluted water. When a small piece of food grain or sand stuck between two shells (oyster). Then, it starts covering by some hard protective layer of calcium carbonate and conchiolin. Uniquely, these layers are known with the name of the nacre. Thus, they take up to seven years to forming a pearl. Pearls are a mixture of oxygen and calcium. They easily take five to six years in assembling. A natural pearl is very rare to find. That’s why, they are very expensive. In spite of other things, the outer of the pearls is very shimmery and beautiful. Similarly, the pearls look attractive.
Formation: produced naturally by oysters or mollusks
Colors: white, cream, purple, chocolate, black, pink, gray, champagne, green, lavender, and blue
Shapes: round, baroque, semi-round, drop, circle baroque, and flat.
Sizes: 1.00 mm to above
Found in: Persian Gulf, China, Japan, North American, Canada, Mexico, etc.
The best type of natural pearl: Bahrain pearls (Persian Gulf)
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Cultured Pearls
The first cultured pearl or Chinese pearl has been invented by a Chinese person, named – Kokichi Mikimoto, ‘Father of Cultured Pearls’ in 1893. He aimed to see pearl around the neck of every woman. Now, cultured pearls cover the 99% of the pearl market. At the same time, pearl lovers highly appreciate them.
Formation of Cultured pearls
Cultured pearls are cultivated by two ways – Cultured Freshwater pearls and cultured saltwater pearls.
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Cultured Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater pearls produce by using freshwater oysters or mussels. They grow in the mussels inside the ponds, lakes, and rivers. A man-made nucleus stuck between the two shells that work as the core for a pearl. So, they need not only heat to develop, but also a cold climate after a specific time. Freshwater pearls take five to six years in producing a pearl. Earlier, China was the number one country that produces cultured freshwater pearls. But now Japan overtakes the position of China and becomes the number one country. Both, Japan and China produce the best Akoya pearls.
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cultured-freshwater-pearls Cultured saltwater pearls
Saltwater pearls take much time to develop than freshwater pearls. They have a beautiful shimmer and luster. They produce inside the ocean. Hence, they take fifteen to twenty years informing. They cultivate in the restricted area of the sea. Moreover, the procedure will be the same. But, cultivation is different. Black, white, and gray color. They are very famous too. South sea cultured pearls and Tahitian cultured pearls are the best types of cultured saltwater pearls.
Formation: cultivated by the involvement of manpower
Colors: white, cream, purple, chocolate, black, pink, gray, green, lavender, and blue
Shapes: round, baroque, semi-round, drop, circle baroque, and flat.
Sizes: 1.00 mm to above
Found in: Japan, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, India, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Philippines, etc.
The best type of cultured pearl: Akoya freshwater pearls, South Sea cultured pearls, and Tahitian cultured pearls
Above all, both types of pearls are available in very fine quality on the pearl.org.in website. However, the customers purchase any of the pearls from there. So, they will buy quality pearls at reasonable prices.