Pearl colours and their origin
One of the unique features of pearls is that they come in many different colours. Read on to find out more about the pearl colours that are available and where the colours come from.
Pearls come in many colours
If you visit a reputable jewellery store that offers a range of pearls and take a look at their collection of pearls then you will be surprised to see the huge variety of colours. You will find pearls in pink, black, white, gold, blue, green, brown, purple and many other shades. Pearls have a very subtle glow to their colour so sometimes you will pick up only a hint of colour.
If you are looking for jewellery that will complement the colour of your dress that you are planning to wear in a very special occasion, then finding pearl jewellery with the right colour is easy.
So how do pearls have such a wide variety of colours? What is the secret? Pearls are made of nacre and the thickness of the nacre is something that determines the colour of the pearls. Thicker nacre leads to richer colours. The placement of the nucleus inside the tissue, the mussel type and the environmental condition also play a key role on determining the colour of a pearl.
The colour of pearls depends on the origin and type of shellfish that the pearl grows in. For example, the black lipped oyster grown in Tahiti has green or gray or black pearls, while the pearls in Broome, Western Australia have silvery white pearls.
Pearls are often dyed or bleached to improve the colour and remove blemishes – this is common with freshwater pearls. Another way of altering colours is by using heat which produces chocolate colour pearls.
The freshwater pearls are well known for their wide range of colours and usually come with more colour varieties than saltwater pearls. Pink to orange-pink freshwater pearls are found in Bangladesh.
For saltwater pearls, you will find South Sea pearls in white, off-white, silver-white, creamy, blue, bronze, pink, green and golden colour. The Akoya pearls produced in Japan and China usually come in blue, cream, grey and yellow.
Mint green South Sea pearls are found in Indonesia and are rare and expensive. Black South Sea pearls are cultivated in Tahiti and often have grey or green overtones. Gold South Sea pearls are also available. Most South Sea pearls are a silvery white colour. When you are buying expensive saltwater coloured pearls, you should ask if they have been artificially coloured. This can have quite a bearing on the value of the pearl.
Different colours of pearls represent different meanings to people. The white colour pearls represents purity, faith and honesty while the rose and pink coloured pearls stands for love. Black pearls represent dignity and the golden colour pearls are considered as the symbol of wealth. White or silver pearls are also associated with weddings.
The colour of pearls can help complement your outfit. Pink pearls complement pastel colours, while black pearls are ideal for a dark coloured outfit. Pearls come in so many colours and you can choose the colour that looks best for your lifestyle.
Tags: coloured pearls