With all the different pearl colours and types out there, it can be difficult to know just what you’re looking at when you want to buy pearl earrings. That’s why this guide is designed to answer some very popular pearl questions for those who wish to know more.

Can You Buy Various Colours Of Tahitian Pearls?

This might surprise some, but Tahitian pearls aren’t grown in Tahiti and they’re also not black. Although black is a popular choice for pearl fans, Tahitian pearls can also be bought in beautiful blues, browns, greens and greys. And they’re grown in the lagoons of small islands that are part of a group known as French Polynesia.

Cultured Vs Natural Pearl Earrings

Natural pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a parasite, makes its way into a pearl-producing animal such as an oyster or mollusc. In order to shield itself, the oyster will over the parasite in an organic substance called nacre, which then creates the mother of pearl we know today. It takes time for the nacre layers to build up, but when the newly-formed pearl is retrieved, it proves that it is worth the wait.

When it comes to cultured pearls, they are formed in the same way, but with man’s input rather than nature’s. It is someone skilled who will go in and place something in the oyster so make sure the pearl formation happens. The outcome is some beautiful pearls, which make their way into the shops so you can buy pearl earrings.

Should I Buy Saltwater Or Freshwater Pearls?

Although both are beautiful, many people feel that the cultured freshwater pearls are just as good as saltwater pearls, and they are of course more affordable too. Due to improvements in culturing techniques, freshwater pearl farmers are producing beautiful, round, lustrous pearls that are a vast improvement over the wrinkled, rice-krispie-shaped gems that typified the freshwater pearl crop of the not-so-distant past.

Freshwater cultured pearls come in many beautiful natural pastel colours including cream, white, yellow, orange, pink and lavender. Lavender is an on-trend colour option for pearl fans at the moment. White pearls are bleached to enhance their natural shine. Black freshwater cultured pearls are treated with dye or heat to produce their inky colour.

Overall, freshwater pearls are more plentiful than other pearl types, thus they are generally more affordable. You can buy pearl earrings in any colour you like, as long as you have the cash to splash.

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