Pearl Glossary

Akoya Pearls
are Saltwater cultured pearls of Japanese origin and are formed by the Akoya oyster.

Baroque Pearls
are neither round nor symmetrical, but irregular in shape.

Bib
is a pearl necklace with more than three strands.

Black Pearls
are naturally-coloured dark pearls from the black-lip oyster. The colour is black or very dark grey, however dark blue, dark green and purple-grey coloured pearls also come under the title of black pearl. Black pearls are rare.

Blue Pearls
are dark-coloured pearls whose colour is derived from foreign contaminants in the nacre itself or between the nacre and the shell bead nucleus. Good examples of blue pearls are naturally-coloured, dark Akoya pearls, which may be blue, black, grey, or brown. Black and blue pearls may look similar but the difference is in the origin of their colour.

Choker Length 
is a pearl necklace 14 - 16 inches (35 - 40 cm) in length.

Colour
of pearls is usually influenced by the type of pearl oyster.

Cultured Pearls
are pearls formed by the insertion of a piece of mantle tissue, with or without a nucleus, into the mother oyster or mussel.

Dog Collar
refers to a multi-strand (as many as five) choker-length necklace, usually joined together with a single clasp.

Freshwater Pearls
are nucleated pearls from freshwater shellfish produced in various countries around the world, including Japan, China, and America.

Imitation Pearls
are any pearls entirely manufactured to look like natural or cultured pearls. There are two types: one variety is composed of hollow or solid glass beads coated with essense d'orient, which is produced from the scales of certain types of fish. The other variety, known as "shell-based pearls", are imitation pearls coated with a substance like nail polish and then lacquered. There are also numerous plastic imitation pearls on the market.
Iridescence  
refers to the optical effect whereby prismatic colours, similar to the ones seen on oil films, can be seen. Iridescence is the play of lustrous colours, which may be like those of the rainbow or a subtle combination of colours such as pink, blue, green, and silver.

Keshi Pearls
are small, roundish natural pearls formed accidentally in the soft tissue of the mollusc during the cultivation process. In Japanese, keshi means "poppy seed". These pearls are formed when small chips of the mollusc's shell break off and fall inside the mollusc during the surgical insertion of the bead. The mollusc treats these pieces as irritants and coats them with nacre.

Lustre
is the appearance of a pearl's surface judged by its brilliance and ability to reflect light. Also called "sheen" or "shimmer".

Matinee Length
refers to a pearl necklace 20 - 26 inches (50 - 66 cm) long.

Mother-of-Pearl
is the smooth, hard pearly lining on the interior of upper and lower shells of certain oysters and other molluscs, used to make decorative objects, buttons and beads.

Nacre (NAY-ker)
is the pearly substance secreted by the mantle of certain molluscs to form a pearl. Nacre also creates the beautiful mother-of-pearl coating found on the inside of pearl shells and several other varieties of shellfish.

Natural Pearls
are formed entirely by accident and without the intervention of man. Either a parasite or other foreign substance is covered by nacreous layers inside the oyster.

Off-round Pearls
are slightly flattened or ovalish in shape.

Opera Length
refers to a pearl necklace 28 - 36 inches (70 - 90 cm) in length.
 
Princess Length
refers to a pearl necklace 16 - 20 inches (40 - 50 cm) in length.

Rope Length
refers to a pearl necklace longer than 40 inches (100 cm); also called 'lariat' or 'saupier'.

Torsade
is a multi-strand necklace formed by twisting strands around each other. A popular way to wear freshwater pearl strands.