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  • Saltwater Pearl

Saltwater Pearl

Pearl

By Tim Matthews, JD, FGA, GG, DGA,
CEO and President of JTV
Published: June 2014
Modified: March 2022
Saltwater Pearl Polished
Table of Contents
  • General Information
  • Saltwater Pearl Colors
  • Alternate Names
  • Countries of Origin
  • Care
  • Species/Variety

Akoya, Sea of Cortez, South Sea, and Tahitian Pearls are all cultured from saltwater oysters and are the most notable varieties of saltwater pearls. These pearls are harvested from saltwater marine environments and are more valuable than the freshwater pearl varieties.

General Information

  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical Properties
  • Chemistry & Crystallography
Common Name
Saltwater Pearl
Species
Pearl
Transparency
Opaque-Translucent
Refractive Index
1.530-1.685
Birefringence
0.155
Optic Character
NA
Optic Sign
NA
Polariscope Reaction
Aggregate (AGG)
Fluorescence
SWUV: Variable
LWUV: Variable
CCF Reaction
None
Pleochroism
None
Streak
white
Toughness
Good
Inclusions
If the pearl is drilled you can inspect the hole to look for bead nucleus.
Luster
Metallic, Dull, Pearly
Stability
Poor
Fracture
Uneven
Cleavage
None
Chemical Name
calcium carbonate + conchiolin and water
Chemical Formula
CaCO3
Crystal System
NA
Chemistry Classification
Organic

Saltwater Pearl Colors

  • Multi-color Saltwater Pearl
    Multi-color
  • White Saltwater Pearl
    White
  • Blue Saltwater Pearl
    Blue
  • Black Saltwater Pearl
    Black
  • Yellow Saltwater Pearl
    Yellow
  • Gray Saltwater Pearl
    Gray

Alternate Names

South Sea Pearl, Tahitian Pearl, Akoya Pearl, Sea of Cortez Pearl, Seed Pearl, Abalone Pearl

Countries of Origin

Myanmar; Viet Nam; Korea (the Republic of); Unknown; China; Japan; Italy; Mexico; Philippines (the); Australia; French Polynesia; Indonesia

Care

Avoid cosmetics, perfumes, hairsprays, heat and household chemicals.

Species/Variety

Abalone Pearl

There are 96 known varieties of abalone that will produce natural pearls. The chances of finding a high-quality abalone pearl are 1 in 10 million. Pearls can be rounded or free form, but tooth shape is the most commonly found form. The pearls can come in white, cream, black, gray, blue, purple, pink, yellow, and gold and have been reported to reach 500cts. Pearls typically have blemishes and can be hollow. California is the largest producer of abalone pearls. The Californian abalone varieties are the California Red or Californian Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) which is the largest variety of abalone shell from California, and it produces the largest and most beautiful pearls. Other varieties are the Black Abalone (Haliotis cracerodii) which is the smallest, the Pink Abalone (Haliotis corrugata) which is the most abundant, White Abalone (Haliotis assimilis), and the Green Abalone (Haliotis fulgens) which are very color