How to measure the pearl size?

1. Different types of pearls have different expected size ranges.

A guide: akoyas typically range from 4-8mm, Tahitians from 8-14mm, South Sea pearls from 9-15mm, and freshwater pearls from 5-11mm. All have different expected size ranges, and anything outside the range will be reflected in the price.

If the pearl size reach or over the rang, the price will be more higher. Akoyas over 8.5mm, Tahitians over 15mm, South Sea pearls over 17mm, and freshwater pearls over 12mm.

2. Different diameter class by diameter length

Mini pearl: diameter < 5mm
Small pearl: 5mm < diameter < 5.5mm
Middle pearl: 5.5mm < diameter < 7mm
Big pearl: 7mm < diameter < 7.5mm
Large pearl: 7.8mm < diameter < 8mm
Surper large pearl: diameter > 8mm


3. How to measure the pearl size?

Usually we use the electronic digital caliper to measure the pearl size. It could measure the diameter of loose pearl and the length of pearl jewelry accurately. Except the error by temperature changing, chemical reagent contact, and moisture. The results of measurement are very accurately.

How many kinds of pearls?

As pearls are developed in living creatures, depend on where the creatures live and how the pearls are developed, they are divided into several types.

Due to the developing process of pearls, they are divided as natural pearls and cultured pearls. Natural pearls are the most expensive ones, and they are hard to find now. Normally, the pearls you see in the stores are cultured pearls. Though natural pearls are more expensive than the cultured ones, that doesn’t mean the quality of natural pearls are better than the cultural ones.

The pearls are basically listed into two catalogs: freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls.

We are going to discuss them separately.

Freshwater pearls: Though Biwa Pearls are famous as one of the first cultured freshwater pearls, Chinese freshwater pearls are also cultivated since the beginning of 1970s on the Yangtze River in eastern China. Nowadays, about 90% of freshwater pearls are produced in China. Freshwater pearls are the product of an elaborate process in which a single resilient mussel can be harvested many times and yielding several pearls at a time. Their shapes vary from rice-shape to round, typically off-round or round freshwater pearls are much resemble Akoya pearls, but the price is only about half of them, so they are quite beautiful and more affordable to most people.

Saltwater pearls: There are several common saltwater pearls we know

Akoya Pearls: Saltwater pearls from the Akoya oyster, which are usually cultured. These pearls are typically roundish, and their natural body colors normally range from light pink, to white, to yellowish. Even though they are often called Japanese pearls, they can also be found in oysters outside Japan. In fact, China has become the major producer of Akoya pearls less than 7 mm in size. Currently, most Akoya pearls over 7 mm are cultured in Japan. Akoya pearls are tend to range from 1-10mm.

South Sea Pearls: It’s sometimes used as a general term signifying any saltwater pearl found in the area extending from the Philippines and Indonesia down to Australia and across to French Polynesia. More often than not, it refers specifically to large white or yellow pearls cultured in the silver-lip or yellow-lip oyster found in the South Sea. Because of the rarity and sensitivity of this type of oysters, cultivation of these pearls is much more difficult and making them more expensive. South Sea pearls tend to range from 9-19mm. They are much larger than the average pearls. These are the rarest extraordinary pearls you can find in a jewelry store due to the exceptional smoothness and roundness of the pearls.

Tahitian Pearls: They are named after the tropical island of Tahiti, which is now farmed not only in Tahiti but the Cook Island and other places in the South Pacific as well. Tahitian pearls are larger than Akoya pearls because the oyster is larger. The oyster is very sensitive to the pearl culturing process, which makes the pearls very costly to produce. Tahitian pearls offer a dramatic touch and are famous for their natural black color. The color comes from the color of the oyster’s black lips, but it can range from metallic, silver to the color of black. And within the range of the color, they can have bluish, purplish or greenish overtones.

Pearl color & complexion

The ShecyPearlJewelry customer service does not only help people who want to buy pearl jewelry from its website, but also provide suggestions of choosing the proper color of pearl jewelry. Sometimes choosing the proper pearl color for different complexion is very important.

From time to time, customers ask questions about the right pearl color they should choose to match their complexion. As the western countries are the biggest market to ShecyPearlJewelry and the people in these countries present a wide range of different complexion, we find it’s a need for many people to determine the suitable pearl color, so here are some suggestions you may need, and we hope the suggestions can help people avoid costly mistake when selecting pearl jewelry.

People from western countries can be mainly divided by their skin color (complexion) into 4 kinds: white; yellow; red; black.

White people have the widest range of pearl color to choose from. White and/or cream pearls are the traditional choice for most white people, the color adds cleanness and glow to the skin; pink and/or lavender pearls bring out healthy color on the skin and make people look younger; golden pearls are luxury and suitable for formal dress on many important occasions; black is the complement color of white, so black pearls are noticeable on white people, but black pearls are not always black, most of them are dark color with blue or green overtone, so we suggest people with ivory complexion the black pearls with green overtone, and to the people with pure white complexion, we suggest black pearls with blue overtone.

Most people with yellow undertone in the complexion are from Asia, generally, white and/or cream pearls are their best choice, but pink pearls are not a risky choice for Asian people; the glow from golden pearls add highlight on people with proper outfit. We don’t recommend lavender pearls to people with yellowish complexion, it usually gives a dirty look on the yellow skin; about the black pearls, they normally give the same effect as the lavender pearls does, but with brighter color dress, it may look special on some yellow people.

For people with bright orange or red orange undertone in the complexion, we suggest white pearls with pink overtone and pink freshwater pearls, black Akoya pearls with green overtone will match too; if they want to try a brighter color, then golden South Sea pearls are good; for people with bright pink or burgundy undertone in the complexion, we recommend silvery white pearls and black Akoya pearls with blue overtone, if they prefer bigger pearls, then grey Tahitian pearls are a good choice.

For black people, don’t think white pearls are their only choice. Obviously all kinds of white pearls are fabulous on black people; besides white pearls, golden Akoya pearls are another good option for black people to choose, the yellow color on them can make black skin looks warm. Black pearls are great along with bright color outfit on black people, especially big Tahitian pearls with peacock overtone.

The above suggestions are general for most people, if you need suggestion for yourself, you can contact us to get a detailed one by e-mailing to info@shecypearljewelry.com. Don’t hesitate, get your personal pearl color now.