Most people would expect cultured pearls to be white. It’s true many of the pearls out there now are white with distinct hue variations. But too much white can be uninteresting. Luckily during the cultivation process all sorts of colors are created. Generally the type of pearl you buy will come in many various shades and the colors will be natural and not artificially colored. Artificially colored pearls are usually connected with the cheaper quality.
The reason we buy pearls is mainly because they look beautiful and have interesting overtones. For example if a freshwater pearl necklace was flat and dull it would not be interesting to look at all. Hence this is why pearls are so popular, because they have a complex array of colors overtones and Hues. One thing to look for in the color the pearl is overtone color. Essentially if you look closely in a pearl, for example let’s take the Akoya pearl. You should be able to see a slight pink, blue, green or silver color. This is what’s called an overtone. And the more overtones you see the better the quality. Occasionally these overtones can present themselves in a subtle rainbow color of pink, blue, green, silver. This overtone rainbow of colors is referred to as iridescence.
When you buy top quality pearls they tend to be very colorful. For illustration in a light pink pearl you’ll easily be able to see blue and pink overtones. And as you move the pearls they appear to change color due to iridescence. You do need to see the pearls against a white background under powerful direct light to determine the various lighting qualities of the pearl.
Good quality pearls will have the various different types of overtone colors. When deciding what color pearls to buy you will need to try on the bracelet or necklace and see how they look on you. Light pink pearls will tend to be the highest priced. White pearls will be a little bit less costly than radiant pink to pearls. Then you have light cream color, then cream color, then dark cream mix with yellow. Frequently you may be perplexed because jewelry dealers will not have a standardized method for naming the color of their pearls, it’s really up to the individual.
Pearls with blue and pink overtones are thought to be top quality. And can oftentimes be referred to as Hanadama quality. Keep in mind we’re only talking about Akoya pearls. Other types of pearls such as Tahitian and south sea pearls will have their own range of colors, hues and iridescence. As of yet there is no general standardized method of measuring pearl colors and hues within pearl jewelry dealers.
To take a look at a pearl for color place it against a white background that is not reflective. Also see the pearl in diverse shades of light such as inside light, outside light and fluorescent light. If you have got a pearl necklace, bring it with you and usually use that as a comparison to the pearl necklace you’re looking at. Look at the color of pearls in the most neutral white lights you can generally this would be at the middle of the day. This sort of light ads the smallest amount of artificial color. Keep this in consideration when you look for pearls as the lighting can be off and not right for looking at pearls.
