Different shapes of pearls
One of the most amazing things about pearls is that when it comes to their shape, you won’t find two pearls exactly the same. Read on to find out more about some of the shapes that pearls come in and why pearls are different shapes, not just spherical.
Why are pearls different shapes? This happens mainly because the pearls grow under natural conditions within the oysters and mollusks and there is plenty of room for variation. The shape of a pearl also depends on how it is positioned inside the shell. If the creation process starts off in the centre, then there is a good possibility that the pearl will end up having an unusual shape. As a gem created by nature, each pearl is slightly different.
Although many consider the spherical shaped pearls as the most valuable ones, this is not always the case. Pearls with irregular shapes can make unique jewellery as well and are in demand in the market. In general, there are mainly three different well-known pearl shapes. These shapes are: baroque, spherical and symmetrical. Each of these types comes up with their unique characteristics and some are considered more suitable for particular uses than the others.
The baroque shaped pearls are used to make wonderful and unique jewellery. Based on their shapes, baroque pearls can be divided into two types: baroque and semi-baroque. A true baroque pearl will have an abstract shape and will not be symmetrical while on the other hand the semi-baroque pearls can be button, drop or oval-shaped.
In general, the spherical pearls are the most popular ones in the market and these pearls come with a round shape. You will find both saltwater and freshwater pearls in this shape. Both round and almost round shaped pearls fall into the spherical category. The round shaped pearls are pretty much rare and most popular in the market. Spherical pearls are suitable for necklaces or bracelets.
Symmetrical pearls are used mainly in earrings and rings and can come up with unique shapes like button, drop and oval. The drop shaped pearls look more like tear drops where the button shaped pearls usually have one or multiple flat ends. The oval-shaped symmetrical pearls usually come up with wide centers and narrow ends. They look great in set in pendants. Mabe pearls are flat, symmetrical pearls.
Freshwater pearls are well-known for their different shapes and sizes. They can come up with almost any shape including button, round, oval, circle, rice and so on. On the other hand, the cultured saltwater pearls are usually round and have less variety in shapes.
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