Freshwater pearls are commonly grown inside the hyriopsis cumingii mollusc also known as the triangle mussel in rivers lakes or ponds.
Types of pearls pictures.
Pearl colors the main types of natural south sea pearls are golden and white but due to their unique structure the color of the pearl can vary according to lighting.
In reaction the mollusc begins to produce layers of nacre around the irritant.
They are also known as blister pearls or half pearls.
There are four major types of cultured whole pearls.
Size large pearls are extremely rare and with sizes up to 20mm south sea pearls stand out from all the other types of pearls.
Akoya cultured pearls are the most familiar type of saltwater cultured pearl to most people in the u s and other western markets.
Mabe pearls are categorized according to how they are grown and are not a type in itself like the keshi pearl.
Pearls are formed when irritants like sand for instance finds its way into the shell of a mollusc.
Many customers think of white or cream colored akoyas as the classic pearl used for jewelry especially single strand necklaces.
Pearl types can generally be divided into two major categories.
Those produced in fresh water and those grown in salt water.
Other types of pearls called blue comes from the abalone which is technically a large snail of the genus haliotis.
The history of freshwater pearl cultivation can be traced back to the 13th century when the earliest blister pearls were.
Up until 1989 pearls were only found.