At a glance: cultured pearls
With their variety of colours, shapes, and new manners of styling, pearls are only growing in demand. At TVRRINI we believe in creating jewellery with an eclectic variety of gems, and offering pearls across the range of their quiet charm.
How pearls are formed
Pearls are organic gems that are generated in pearl oysters. When foreign material, such as a grit of sand, enters the oyster and can't be expelled, the mussel shields itself from irritation by secreting nacre around the material. Those layers result in a pearl over time.
Unlike those that occur in nature, cultured pearls get formed with human intervention and care. This process takes place on a farm that specialises in harvesting gem-quality pearls. At these farms, workers keep up high standards of sustainability; this includes ensuring the conditions of the water are consistently optimal and looking after the freshwater oyster so it stays healthy. They carefully create openings in the soft mantle tissue and place tiny shell pieces inside. This prompts the oyster to react, rolling the shell pieces around to form a pearl.
Main types of pearls
Freshwater pearls
This variety is harvested from oysters living in lakes and rivers. Generally, freshwater pearls have a body colour of white, cream, yellow, orange, pink or purple. The market tends to offer specimens ranging from 3.0 mm up to 10.0 mm, and ones that are any larger are considered to be extraordinary. Currently, much of the world’s supply comes from China.
Tahitian pearls
As their name suggests, these pearls are named for their cultivation around Tahiti, an island of French Polynesia. Formed inside the black lip oyster, Tahitian pearls are formed in many body colours, varying from green — lime, pistachio, peacock — to a cherry-like red to bronze to grey to purple. Overtones in Tahitian pearls can be pink, green and blue. Sizes range from 8 mm to 18 mm which makes them among the largest pearl varieties.
Some producers chemically dye non-Tahitian pearls to appear black, which weakens the nacre and hence one should take caution of any imitations. We avoid using dyed imitations. Instead, we only use natural, high-quality pearls.
South Sea pearls
These large saltwater gems are harvested in the warm climates around Australia, Indonesia, and the Phillippines. They grow inside white-lipped and gold-lipped oysters, and the thick nacre gives the impression of a soft glow distinct from other types. They are the largest pearls; most South Sea pearls reach about 12 mm with some achieving 20 mm.
Pearls from Australia, in particular, are known for a creamy white body colour with overtones ranging from silver to blue. Pearls from Indonesia and the Phillippines come in shades of honey, champagne and gold.
Shapes of pearls
In addition to colours, pearls are created in myriad shapes. Round is the rarest and most valuable of all pearl shapes. Semi-round pearls, when viewed up close, are more unique in their slight irregularities. Drop pearls are symmetrical, elongated shapes and look very much like teardrops.
The more irregular baroque pearls are highly asymmetrical. One sub-category of baroque pearls is circle baroque pearls, which have concentric ridges or rings around the body, and are striking for their uniqueness.
Finding the perfect pearls
Origin, colour, lustre, and size are just a few of the factors to consider in your purchasing journey. We suggest that you firstly decide whether you prefer large pearls or smaller, more nuanced pearls. When you’re ready, select your favourite metal to complement the pearl. It's important to remember that no two pearls are the same, which is why taking your time to review how it looks on you is important.
We are committed to hand-picking cultured pearls that will be treasured as an elegant statement for many years to come.
