Common Colors for Pearl Types

The color of a pearl should help indicate the type of pearl... but with all the different colors of pearls, it can be hard to tell if the pearl is natural or dyed.  So how do you tell which type of pearl it is using only color?  You do not, color is only one indicator.  Other indicators include shape, size, and location.

Most saltwater pearls will be white, although pastel colors, yellow-gold, and grey-to-black may also be available depending on the South Seas location the pearl came from (Australia or Asia) .  Depending of the hue of grey, the pearls may be referred to as blue or silver/platinum if having a metallic luster.  Black pearls may actually be black but most are various chades of charcoal or "peacock" which means they have a multi-color pearlesence.  Golden pearls can be any shade of yellow from pale candlelight to darker 14K gold color.  Akoya pearls are the smallest, Tahitians in the middle, and South Sea are typically the largest size.

Freshwater pearls are naturually the same colors of most saltwater pearls with a larger range in the color families, but they have less luster than saltwater.  However with the perfection of the bleaching and dying processes, freshwater pearls may be bought in a variety of colors now.  

More rare pearl types are based on matching their host shell.  These include:

• Abalone - Rare true, blue pearl with the same color play irredecense of the inside of its abalone shell host.  They are oddly shaped and very expensive.
• Conch - Rare pink shell pearl from the Queen Conch.
• Melo - Rare peach-orange shell pearl from the Melo Melo Snail. 

Also there are the famous lake pearls, which no longer produce pearls due to disasters or pollution, but may have similar mullusks cultivated elsewhere.  These lake pearls are also known for their unique and luxurious colors. The Kasumigaura Lake had natural shades of pink pearls from Asian Japan with metallic luster and multi-color pearlescence  Lake Biwa in Japan had rectangular pearls in natural shades of white to pink/peach with high luster and pearlescence.  Then there are the pastel freshwater pearls from  Caddo Lake and pink -purple pearls of Concho River both in Texas of the USA.

To see the most natural colors of pearls, visit The Different Colors of Pearls And What They Each Look Like on the Rock Chasing blog. Please note this site has lots of ads, so loading may be slow.