Types of Pearls Every Jewellery Buyer Should Know

Pearls are unlike any other gem set into fine jewellery: they are not cut or faceted, but grown, whole, within a living creature. At Jaipur Gems, understanding the types of pearls is a matter of origin as much as appearance - the water, the oyster, and the years beneath the surface that shape each one before it ever reaches a jeweller's hand. For anyone choosing a pearl piece with intention, this distinction carries more weight than colour or size alone. 

This guide sets out the types of pearls recognised across the trade today, what separates one from another, how each is graded and cared for, and how each has come to hold its place in bridal wear, heirloom pieces, and formal jewellery.

Quick Answer: Types of Pearls every buyer should know

Jaipur Gems' guide to the types of pearls covers the five principal varieties recognised in fine jewellery today, each shaped by its own oyster, water and years of cultivation before it reaches a jeweller's hand.

• Akoya - round, white, bright surface; the classic first strand

• Tahitian - naturally black, from French Polynesia

• White & Golden South Sea - the largest cultured pearls, from Australia and the Philippines

• Freshwater - the widest range of pastel tones, from China

• Sea of Cortez - the rarest, from a single Mexican farm

This guide sets out origin, size, colour and care for each, to help buyers choose with intention.

How Many Types of Pearls Are There?

Each variety is recognised and classified using standards set out by the Gemological Institute of America, the industry's leading authority on gemstone identification and grading.

Nearly every pearl seen in fine jewellery today is a cultured pearl, grown under the care of a pearl farmer who places a small bead or tissue nucleus inside an oyster or mussel, then leaves it to develop over several years within its natural habitat. Natural pearls, formed entirely without human intervention, are far rarer and are now largely absent from the modern retail market. 

Within cultured pearls, the trade recognises five principal types of pearls, each tied to a distinct oyster or mussel species and a specific body of water.

• Akoya pearls - saltwater pearls from Japan, known for round shapes and a bright, even surface

• Tahitian pearls - saltwater pearls from French Polynesia, valued for natural black body colour and iridescent overtones

• White South Sea pearls - cultured off the northern coast of Australia, among the largest of all cultured pearls

• Golden South Sea pearls - cultured across the Philippine Islands, distinguished by a natural golden body colour

• Freshwater pearls - grown in lakes and ponds across China, offering the widest range of natural pastel tones

• Sea of Cortez pearls - the rarest of the group, farmed on a single collective in Mexico

Each of the types of pearls carries its own combination of origin, size range and body colour, and no two are grown under quite the same conditions. Even within a single type, the character of a strand can vary considerably depending on the particular harvest and the age of the oyster at the time it was seeded.

Comparing the Types of Pearls at a Glance

Before considering each of the types of pearls in turn, it helps to see how they differ in origin, size and character.

This comparison is a starting point rather than a rule of thumb - within every one of these types of pearls, individual strands are still judged on their own merits of surface, shape and match.

Akoya Pearls

The Akoya is the pearl most associated with classic jewellery: round, white, and finished with a bright, even surface. It is cultivated in the Pinctada fucata martensii oyster, native to the cooler waters around Japan and parts of southern China and Vietnam. Of all the types of pearls, the Akoya is the one most often chosen for a first strand, precisely because its uniformity of colour and shape sets a benchmark against which others are measured.

• Origin: Japan leads production, with additional cultivation in China and Vietnam

• Colour: white is traditional, though natural silvery-blue and pale gold tones occur; black is achieved through dyeing

• Shape: round is the most prized, though baroque forms are also cultivated

• Worth knowing: the finest grade of Akoya pearl is known in Japan as "Hanadama," meaning flower pearl, and represents the top tier of surface and lustre quality within the type

Pieces from gold necklace sets such as the Bushra Pearl Gold Earrings reflect this same preference for bright, even-surfaced pearls set with quiet restraint 

Tahitian Pearls 

Tahitian pearls are the most recognised naturally black cultured pearl in the world, grown in the Pinctada margaritifera oyster across the atolls and lagoons of French Polynesia. Their body colour ranges from pale dove grey to deep charcoal, layered with iridescent overtones of peacock, green and silver that shift with the angle of light. Among the types of pearls, the Tahitian is often the one chosen by those who want something distinctive rather than classic.

• Origin: farmed across small collectives throughout French Polynesia

• Colour: grey-to-black body tones with peacock, aubergine or green overtones

• Treatment: almost always natural, beyond a gentle washing and buffing after harvest

• Worth knowing: French Polynesian regulation requires a minimum 0.8mm nacre thickness before a pearl can be exported, a safeguard that keeps thin, poor-quality pearls out of the international market

White and Golden South Sea Pearls

White and Golden South Sea pearls are the largest among the types of pearls cultivated today, grown in the Pinctada maxima oyster - itself the largest pearl-producing oyster in cultivation. The silver-lipped variety, farmed along Australia's northern coast, produces the white body colour; the gold-lipped variety, farmed across the Philippine Islands, produces the golden. Because the host oyster is so large, these pearls also carry the thickest nacre of any saltwater type, which gives them a softer, more satiny surface quality than the harder brilliance of an Akoya.

• Origin: Australia for white; the Philippines for golden

• Nacre: the thickest of any saltwater cultured pearl, often 2mm to 4mm around the nucleus

• Farming practice: breeding stock is drawn from wild oysters and returned to the sea afterward, to preserve the genetic diversity of the wild population

Freshwater Pearls

Freshwater pearls are cultivated in freshwater lakes and ponds across China, primarily within the Hyriopsis cumingii mussel. They are produced in far greater volume than any saltwater type, and in a wider range of natural pastel colours - soft pinks, peach, lavender and white. Of all the types of pearls, freshwater varieties are the most accessible, and also the most experimented with, as farmers continue to develop new sizes and shapes each season.

• Origin: almost all modern freshwater cultured pearls come from Chinese aquaculture

• Nucleation: most are tissue-nucleated rather than bead-nucleated; the donor tissue degrades over time, leaving a pearl composed almost entirely of solid nacre, which makes it notably durable

• Shape: ranges from near-round to distinct baroque forms, more varied than any other type

Sea of Cortez Pearls

Sea of Cortez pearls, cultivated in the Gulf of California near Guaymas, Mexico, are the rarest among the types of pearls available today. They are the only naturally coloured black cultured pearl besides the Tahitian, and the entire global supply comes from a single farming operation.

• Origin: a single farm, Perlas del Mar de Cortez, producing fewer than 4,000 pearls a year

• Colour: an unusually wide palette for one species, including blue-green, aubergine, copper and rose tones

• Worth knowing: these pearls fluoresce under ultraviolet light, a natural marker used by gemologists to help confirm authenticity

Caring for Pearls

However the different pearl varieties differ from one another, they share one trait: pearls are an organic gem, softer than most stones set into jewellery, and they call for a different standard of care than diamond or gold.

• Pearls should be the last thing put on when dressing and the first thing removed, since perfume, hairspray and skincare products can dull the surface over time

• They are best stored separately from harder gemstones, ideally wrapped in soft cloth, to prevent surface scratching

• A light wipe with a soft, dry cloth after wearing helps remove any residue from skin contact

• Strands worn regularly benefit from being restrung periodically, as the silk thread they are traditionally strung on can weaken well before the pearls themselves show any wear

Choosing Between the Types of Pearls

Deciding between the types of pearls comes down to three considerations: the occasion a piece is intended for, the body colour that suits the wearer, and the degree of rarity one values in a piece meant to be passed down. A classic Akoya strand suits formal and bridal wear, where restraint matters most. Tahitian and South Sea pearls suit those drawn to bolder, more distinctive pieces. Freshwater pearls offer versatility across everyday and gifting occasions. Sea of Cortez pearls suit the collector seeking something rarely seen.

• For formal, timeless pieces: Akoya
  For those drawn to this classic pairing, the Bushra Pearl Gold Earrings offer a formal, everyday way to wear it 

• For bold, distinctive pieces: Tahitian or South Sea

• For versatile, everyday pieces: Freshwater

• For rare, collector pieces: Sea of Cortez

In bridal and heirloom jewellery particularly, the choice between types of pearls is rarely made on appearance alone. A piece intended to be worn for one occasion and then kept for decades calls for the same discipline that governs the selection of any heirloom material - attention to origin, durability and the way a piece is likely to be valued by the next generation who inherits it.

A Closing Thought

A well-made pearl piece is built to be worn for decades, not seasons, and its worth rests in origin, nacre quality and craftsmanship rather than anything fleeting. Knowing the types of pearls - and how to identify original pearl authenticity within any of them - is the foundation for choosing a piece that will hold its meaning long after the occasion it was bought for has passed.

At Jaipur Gems, over fifty years of practice have shaped one working principle: origin and material integrity are verified before craftsmanship begins, whatever the material - Polki, Kundan, gold, or any other gem entering a bridal or heirloom piece. The same discipline applies to a gem shaped by nature rather than the lapidary's hand.

Frequently Asked Questions About Types of Pearls

What are all the types of pearls?

Among the types of pearls, five are widely recognised: Akoya, Tahitian, White South Sea, Golden South Sea and Freshwater, each shaped by a different oyster and water.  

What type of pearl is the most expensive?

Among the types of pearls, South Sea pearls are generally the most valuable, prized for their large size, thick nacre and rare natural colour. 

What type of pearl is best?

There is no single best among the types of pearls - Akoya suits classic strands, Tahitian and South Sea suit bolder pieces, and Freshwater suits everyday wear.  

What is the prettiest pearl?

Tahitian pearls are often considered the most striking among the types of pearls, admired for their natural black colour and shifting peacock overtones.  

Which colour pearl is rare?

Natural black pearls are the rarest among all types of pearls, particularly those from the Sea of Cortez, followed closely by fine Tahitian black pearls.