perliana14 Glossary
Glossary
14 pearl terms from Akoya to Tahitian, explained briefly with the number that matters.
A
Akoya Pearl
The Akoya pearl is a saltwater cultured pearl from the oyster Pinctada fucata, classically white, round and 6 to 8 mm in size.
B
Baroque Pearl
Baroque pearl is the collective term for irregularly shaped pearls, from slightly asymmetrical to completely free-form.
Bead Nucleus
The bead nucleus is the turned sphere of mollusc shell implanted into the oyster in bead culturing, forming the core of the cultured pearl.
C
Conch Pearl
The conch pearl is a non-nacreous natural pearl from the queen conch of the Caribbean, pink with a characteristic flame structure.
F
Freshwater Pearl
The freshwater pearl grows in river mussels such as Hyriopsis cumingii, predominantly in China, usually without a bead and in large numbers per mussel.
H
Hanadama
Hanadama is the highest Akoya quality, confirmed by a certificate from the Pearl Science Laboratory in Tokyo, not a dealer's grade.
K
Keshi Pearl
The keshi pearl is a beadless cultured pearl that forms when the oyster rejects the nucleus, and it therefore consists entirely of nacre.
L
Lustre
Lustre describes the sharpness and brightness of the reflection on a pearl's surface, and for many experts it is the single most important value factor of a pearl.
M
Mabe Pearl
The mabe pearl is a half pearl that grows over a dome-shaped nucleus on the inside of the shell and is used for earrings and rings.
N
Nacre
Nacre is the layered material of aragonite and conchiolin that the mollusc deposits around the nucleus, and it determines both the lustre and the durability of a pearl.
Natural Pearl
According to CIBJO, a natural pearl forms without human intervention in a naturally formed pearl sac and can only be reliably identified by X-ray.
O
Orient
Orient is the rainbow-like play of colour beneath the pearl's surface, created by light interference within the layers of nacre.
S
South Sea Pearl
The South Sea pearl is the largest cultured pearl, grown in Pinctada maxima off Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines, in white, silver or gold.
T
Tahitian Pearl
The Tahitian pearl is a naturally dark cultured pearl from the black-lipped oyster Pinctada margaritifera, grown in the lagoons of French Polynesia.
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