Glossary of pearl terminology

       Abalone Pearl - Pearl produced by the abalone mollusc. Abalone pearls are usually gray with strong orient.

       Akoya Cultured Pearl - A type of saltwater cultured pearl, grown primarily in cooler water off the coasts of Japan and China. Oyster species that produce Akoya pearls include Pinctada fucata and Pinctada martensi.

       Awabi Pearl - Japanese name for abalone pearls.

       Baroque - Any irregularly-shaped pearl. Baroque pearls are valued for their one-of-a-kind, unusual shapes.

       Biwa Pearl - Cultured freshwater pearls grown in a mussel that lives in Lake Biwa, Japan.

       Blemish - Refers to any surface defect on a pearl. Blemishes include cracks, chips, dull spots, wrinkles, spots, holes, bumps, and pits.

       Blister Pearl - A pearl that has grown onto the inside surface of a mollusc's shell, so that it is dome-shaped on one side and flattened on the other. See also Mabe pearl.

       Button Pearl - Pearl shape where one side of the pearl is flattened. See also mabe pearl.

1. Biwa Pearl 2. Conch Shell with varieties of Conch Pearl 3. Abalone
Calcareous Concretion - Term given to the hard substance secreted by a non-nacre producing mollusc. Choker - Traditionally, a necklace from 16-18 inches in length. In the modern usage of the term, a choker may be as short as 12 inches. Circles - Concentric rings on the surface of a pearl. If circles cover over 1/3 of the pearl's surface, it may be referred to as a circle pearl. Clean - Term applied to a pearl surface that is free of surface flaws. Collar - Pearl necklace that just fits around the neck, usually 10-13 inches in length. Many collars consist of two or more strands of pearls.
		Colour - Term used to describe the base colour of a pearl. Conch Pearl - Pearl produced by a conch. A conch is a tropical saltwater mollusc. Conch pearls occur in pink and orange colours. Corn Pearl - A pearl shaped like a kernel of corn, usually from China. Cultured Pearl - Pearl that is intentionally grown by introducing an irritant or substrate inside the shell of a mollusc. Cultivated Pearl - Another term for a cultured pearl. Any pearl that is intentionally grown by introducing an irritant or substrate inside the shell of a mollusc. Freshwater Pearl - Any pearl produced by a mollusc living in fresh water.
1 Conch Pearl 2 Blister Pearl

Freshwater Cultured Pearl - Cultured pearl that is grown inside a mollusc that lives in fresh water, such as a pond, lake, or river.

Grafting - Also termed nucleation or implantation. Process of inserting a hard bead nucleus or piece of soft mantle tissue into a mollusc body or mantle of the mollusc.The nucleus or mantle tissue serves as the 'seed' to irritate the mollusc to produce a pearl.

1 Golden South sea Pearl.
2 Mabe Pearls-Grown on the inside of the oyster's shell rather that in ist body, mabes have a domed shape and a flat back.

       Keshii Pearl - Sometimes called a seed pearl or a keshi pearl. This is a    small pearl that grows in addition to the intended cultured pearl. It is a    non-nucleated pearl.

       Lustre - A pearl's ability to refract and reflect light. Lustre refers to a    pearl's depth and shine.

       Mabe Pearl - A pearl that grows against the inside wall of a mollusc's    shell, resulting in a domed shape with a flattened back. In some cases,    mabe pearls are grown by glueing a plastic dome (nucleus) onto the    inside surface of a mollusk's shell. Once the nucleus is coated with nacre,    the pearl is cut away from the inner shell. The nucleus is removed and the    cavity is filled with an epoxy resin and backed by a mother-of-pearl plate.    Mabe pearls are sometimes called blister pearls.

1 Baroque Pearls-Irreqularly shaped pearls that command for lower prices than round pearls.
Sometimes however, baroque pearls any come in very interesting shapes leading to one of a kind jewellery designs.

      Majorica Pearl - A simulated pearl made by the Spanish Majorica company.
      Mantle - The thin tissue membrane that attaches a mussel to the inside of its shell.
      Matching - The process of grouping pearls according to colour, size, shape, lustre, and surface.
      Matinee - Pearl necklace that is ususally 20-24 inches in length.
      Momme - Standard unit of measurement of pearls in Japan. One momme equals 3.75 grams or 18.75 carats.

  2 Grafting-This process is also cakked nucleating or implanting and lies at the heart of creating a cultured pearl.
     A hard bead nuuleus or a piece of soft mantle tissue is inserted into the oyster's body and this serves as the irritant around which
     the oyster    will serete its nacre leading to the creation a pearl.
3 Peacock Pearls.

       Nacre - The calcium carbonate-based substance secreted by a pearl in    response to an irritant, such as a piece of shell (cultured pearl) or    parasite (most natural pearls).

       Natural Pearl - Any pearl grown without human interference.   Sometimes called 'Oriental' pearls.

      Nucleation - 'Also terme'a grafting or implantation. Process of inserting   a hard bead nucleus or piece of soft mantle tissue into a mollusc body or   mantle of the mollusc.The nucleus or mantle tissue serves as the 'seed' to   irritate the mollusc to produce a pearl.

       Nucleus - Usually, a small rounded piece of shell from an American   freshwater mussel. For freshwater pearl cultivation, the nucleus usually is   a shaped piece of mantle from another freshwater mussel.

1 Shape-Pearls are rarely ever perfectly round. This is a collection of pearls that shows a variety of off-round shapes all the way to baroque.
2 Circle Pearls-Concentric rings on the surface give circle pearls their name. However, the circles must cover at least one third of the pearl's surface.

  Opera - Pearl necklace that is 28-32 inches in length.

Orient - Refers to a pearl's iridescence.

Oriental Pearl - A tern sometimes used to refer to a natural pearl.

Peacock Pearl - A type of black pearl, usually with dark green tones.

1 Tahitian Pearls

       Peacock Pearl - A type of black pearl,   usually with dark green tones. Genuine black   pearls are produced by the oyster Pinctada   margaritifera. The term 'peacock pearl' often is frequently applied to irridescent black   freshwater pearls, which achieve their colour   as a result of irradiation, heating, and/or   dyeing.

       Potato - Refers to a pearl with an oblong shape, such that it resembles a potato. Most potato pearls are freshwater cultured pearls from China.

       Princess - Pearl necklace that is from 17-19 inches in length.

      Rice Pearl - A freshwater cultured pearl with a crinkled surface and elongated shape, such that it resembles a grain of rice. Most rice pearls originate from China or the United States.

       Rope - Pearl necklace that is longer than 45 inches,

       Saltwater Pearl - Any pearl, natural or cultivated, that is grown in a mollusc that lives in salt (ocean) water.

1 Akoya Pearls neklace with a mabe pearl pendant.
2 Matching-A perfectly matched South Sea Pearl necklace. The pearls have been grouped together for color, overone, lustre, size and shape.
Such a perfect combination however, is very rare and therefore very expensive.
3 Abalone Pearls.

       Shape - A pearl's shape has a great impact on its value. Perfectly round pearls are rare, and therefore highly valuable. Other shapes of pearls include off-round, drop, oval, button, circle, baroque. Freshwater cultured pearl shapes also include stick, angel-wing, cross, and coin shapes.of pearls include off-round, drop, oval, button, circle, baroque. Freshwater cultured pearl shapes also i nclude stick, angel-wing, cross, and coin shapes.

       Size - Pearl size is expressed m millimeters and is a measure of diameter.

       South Sea Pearl - Pearls grown in the white-lipped oyster, Pinctada maxima, in the South Pacific. South Sea pearls occur in shades of white, silver, and gold.

       Tahitian Pearl - Pearls grown in the black-lipped oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, in the South Pacific. Tahitian pearl colours include deep gray (black), purple, green, gold, and silver.