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Learn About Pearls
Pearls are one of the few organic gemstones. Pearls a found in many types of shellfish marine creatures, several varieties of both fresh water and saltwater bivalve clams. mussels and oysters can grow pearls and even some single shelled animals such as the conch snail and the abalone. They can grow in different sizes, shapes and colors.
Cultured Pearls
When man helps the pearls to form by inserting a calcite bead inside the oyster, the result is a cultured pearl. Pearl farms for saltwater pearls are mostly found in Japan and Tahiti. China has a large industry producing freshwater pearls. Cultured pearls usually result in a more uniformed round shape and traditionally salt water pearls were of better quality and price. However, Chinese freshwater pearls continue to improve in quality and shape and can produce some pearls that rival the finest saltwater pearls. It can be very difficult for an appraiser to tell the difference between freshwater and saltwater pearls. In addition, an appraiser usually cannot tell if a pearl is cultured or naturally formed without lab tests. Natural round saltwater pearls are much more valuable than cultured pearls.
Natural Pearls
Natural pearls are not commonly white or round. Freshwater mussels commonly produce small oval pearls called rice or keshi pearls. Quahog clams produce a purplish color pearl, abalone is usually assymetrically shaped with silver or grey color and conch pearls are often pink to orange in color.
Tahitian and South Sea pearls
Tahitian pearls are found in the black lipped oyster and are cultured in the pearls farms of Tahiti.  The pearls are naturally a grey to silver color and can grow larger that their Akoya saltwater cousins. Tahitian pearls are commonly grown in sizes ranging from 8 mm to 16 mm. Traditionally the Tahitian government has controlled the market only allowing the highest quality pearls to enter the market as Tahitian pearls.  South Sea pearls are found and cultured in similar fashion, they are commonly found in colors ranging from white to golden yellow and also are cultured in 8 mm to 15 mm sizes.  Traditionally the Tahitian and South Sea pearls represent some of the largest and highest quality pearls in the world today.