Hand Trades

We hope you find all the useful information about pearl glossary in here. Please post a comment if there are any terms you would like to see added and we”ll include them.

Abalone Pearl – Abalone pearls are natural pearls found in the gastropod mollusk Haliotis. The pearls are most often an iridescent blue color and the most common shape is the horn. Although abalone pearls are highly desirable and widely sought after, culturing these gems has been a very difficult venture. Therefore, abalone pearls are some of the rarest pearls and considered by many to be some of the most beautiful pearls in the world.

Akoya Pearl – A type of saltwater cultured pearl, grown primarily in cooler water off the coasts of Japan and China. Oyster species that produce Akoya pearls include Pinctada fucataPinctada martensi. Akoya looks similar to the Freshwater pearl. Akoya pearls are on average larger, smoother, rounder, and more lustrous than Freshwater pearls.

Awabi Pearl – Japanese name for abalone pearls.

Baroque – Any irregularly-shaped pearl. Baroque pearls are valued for their one-of-a-kind, unusual shapes.

Biwa Pearl – Cultured freshwater pearls grown in a mussel that lives in Lake Biwa, Japan. Now this term is used on all stick-shaped pearls.

Blemish – Refers to any surface defect on a pearl. Blemishes include cracks, chips, dull spots, wrinkles, spots, holes, bumps, and pits.

Blister Pearl – A pearl that has grown onto the inside surface of a mollusk’s shell, so that it is dome-shaped on one side and flattened on the other. See also Mabe pearl. More details …

Button Pearl – Pearl shape where one side of the pearl is flattened. See also Mabe pearl. More details …

Choker – Traditionally, a necklace from 16-18 inches in length. In the modern usage of the term, a choker may be as short as 12 inches.

Circles – Concentric rings on the surface of a pearl. If circles cover over 1/3 of the pearl’s surface, it may be referred to as a circle pearl.

Clean – Term applied to a pearl surface that is free of surface flaws.

Coin Pearl – Pearls that’s in disc shape

Collar – Pearl necklace that just fits around the neck, usually 10-13 inches in length. Many collars consist of two or more strands of pearls.

Conch Pearl – Pearl produced by a conch. A conch is a tropical saltwater mollusk. Conch pearls occur in pink and orange colors.

Corn Pearl – A pearl shaped like a kernel of corn, usually from China.

Cornflake Pearl – Also called “Petal Pearls” because of its unique shape

Cultured Pearl / Cultivated Pearl – Pearl that is intentionally grown by introducing an irritant or substrate inside the shell of a mollusk.

Floating -Pearl Necklace – Made with “invisible” nylon strings, floating necklace create the illusion that the beads are floating around your neckline.

Freshwater Pearl – Any pearl produced by a mollusk living in fresh water. Freshwater pearls usually comes in white, pink or lavender color as shown in the photo above.

Freshwater Cultured Pearl – Cultured pearl that is grown inside a mollusk that lives in fresh water, such as a pond, lake, or river.

Grafting – Also termed nucleation or implantation. Process of inserting a hard bead nucleus or piece of soft mantle tissue into a mollusc body or mantle of the mollusc.The nucleus or mantle tissue serves as the ‘seed’ to irritate the mollusc to produce a pearl.

Imitation Pearl – Any pearl not made by mollusks. Imitation (also called faux, fake, simulated) pearls commonly are made of glass, plastic, or urea, and may be coated with any of a number of polymers, waxes, or fish scale extracts.

Keshii Pearl – Sometimes called a seed pearl or a keshi pearl. This is a small pearl that grows in addition to the intended cultured pearl. It is a non-nucleated pearl.

Luster – A pearl’s ability to refract and reflect light. Luster refers to a pearl’s depth and shine.

Mabe Pearl – A pearl that grows against the inside wall of a mollusc’s shell, resulting in a domed shape with a flattened back. In some cases, mabe pearls are grown by glueing a plastic dome (nucleus) onto the inside surface of a mollusk’s shell. Once the nucleus is coated with nacre, the pearl is cut away from the inner shell. The nucleus is removed and the cavity is filled with an epoxy resin and backed by a mother-of-pearl plate. Mabe pearls are sometimes called blister pearls. More details …

Majorica Pearl – A simulated pearl made by the Spanish Majorica company.

Matinee – Pearl necklace that is ususally 20-24 inches in length.

Momme – Standard unit of measurement of pearls in Japan. One momme equals 3.75 grams or 18.75 carats.

Nacre – The calcium carbonate-based substance secreted by a pearl in response to an irritant, such as a piece of shell (cultured pearl) or parasite (most natural pearls).

Natural Pearl – Any pearl grown without human interference. Sometimes called ‘Oriental’ pearls.

Nucleation – Also termed grafting or implantation. Process of inserting a nucleus (a hard bead nucleus or piece of soft mantle tissue) into a mollusk body or mantle of the mollusk.The nucleus or mantle tissue serves as the ‘seed’ to irritate the mollusk to produce a pearl. For freshwater pearl cultivation, the nucleus usually is a shaped piece of mantle from another freshwater mussel.

Opera – Pearl necklace that is 28-32 inches in length.

Orient – Refers to a pearl’s iridescence.

Oriental Pearl – A term sometimes used to refer to a natural pearl.

Peacock Pearl – A type of black pearl, usually with dark green tones. Genuine black pearls are produced by the oyster Pinctada margaritifera. The term ‘peacock pearl’ often is frequently applied to iridescent black freshwater pearls, which achieve their color as a result of irradiation, heating, and/or dyeing.

Potato Pearl – Refers to a pearl with an oblong shape, such that it resembles a potato. Most potato pearls are freshwater cultured pearls from China and they are very affordable.

Princess – Pearl necklace that is from 17-19 inches in length.

Rice Pearl – A freshwater cultured pearl with a crinkled surface and elongated shape, such that it resembles a grain of rice. Most rice pearls originate from China or the United States.

Rope – Pearl necklace that is longer than 45 inches.

Saltwater Pearl – Any pearl, natural or cultivated, that is grown in a mollusc that lives in salt (ocean) water.

Size – Pearl size is expressed in millimeters and is a measure of diameter.

South Sea Pearl – Pearls grown in the white-lipped oyster, Pinctada maxima, in the South Pacific. South Sea pearls occur in shades of white, silver, and gold.

Tahitian Pearl – Pearls grown in the black-lipped oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, in the South Pacific. Tahitian pearl colors include deep gray (black), purple, green, gold, and silver.

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