How to Choose Pearl Color for Its Value and Significance

(Freshwater pearl bracelets, photography by Harrison Jones)

Imagine a pearl in your mind. Chances are you're thinking of an object that's white, round, and smooth. For most people, this is the standard image of a pearl. However, as one of nature’s most prized and sought-after gems, pearls can actually be found in a wide variety of colors. And with cultured pearls, the availability of pearl colors is very diverse!

Pearls are available in so many different hues that they can basically make a rainbow. You’ll find warm hues like yellow, orange, and pink as well as cool hues like blue, green, and violet. Tone refers to the degree of a hue’s darkness or lightness, and pearls are available in a wide range of tones, from light to dark. As a rule, pearl colors tend to be low in saturation, which means that they are most often muted and have a soft, subtle quality to them.

In this blog post, we'll share some information about various types of pearl colors as well as how to choose a pearl color for its value and significance - and even for personal preference! Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, we want to first address three frequently-asked questions:

• What is the most common pearl color?
• Are pearls ivory or white?
• How do pearls get their color?

What Is the Most Common Pearl Color?

There's a reason why most people associate the word "pearl" with a white, round, and smooth object, perhaps even one on a strand of many worn around a woman's neck. The most common pearl color is white. Not only is white considered a classic pearl color, but it's also one of the most widely preferred pearl colors, since it's so traditional and versatile. White pearls are among the easiest to wear and style. You can find our tips for styling pearl jewelry with other jewelry pieces and any outfit in your wardrobe by reading this blog post.

Are Pearls Ivory or White?

Pearls are available in both ivory and white. Although white is the most common color, ivory is a close second. In fact, ivory pearls are actually white with an overtone, which refers to one of more translucent colors that lie over a pearl's primary body color. With the right overtone, white pearls can even appear iridescent.

How Do Pearls Get Their Color?

The outer layers of pearls are composed of nacre, the same substance that forms the mother-of-pearl inside a pearl-bearing mollusk’s shell. Nacre layers are translucent. As light penetrates them, it bends and reflects back to your eyes. The combination of the effects of refraction and reflection create complex optical effects.

Most of the time, the color of a pearl can be influenced by the mollusk’s lip, also known as the outer part of the shell. Pearls can also get their color from microscopic pigments that lay inside of the conchiolin layer, which acts like the “glue” that holds the internal layers together. The layers that the conchiolin holds together strengthen them like cement.

Pearl Color Can Determine Value

When determining the value of a pearl, the Gemological Institute of America or GIA considers six factors: nacre, luster, surface, shape, color, and size. For more information about how the GIA grades pearls, check out our other blog post on the topic.

It's important to note that the value of some pearl types is more influenced by color than others. For instance, the value of Tahitian pearls is strongly influenced by their color because color is such a highly distinctive property for this pearl type.

In comparison, color is not as important as size when determining the value of Akoya cultured pearls. The most common size of Akoya pearls are 6mm to 7mm. So if an Akoya cultured pearl is 7mm or greater, that makes it a rarity and therefore much more valuable.

Just one grading factor, like color, can have many components. For pearl color, these include:

• Bodycolor – The dominant, overall color of a pearl.
• Overtone – One or more translucent colors that lie over a pearl’s bodycolor.
• Orient – The iridescent rainbow colors that shimmer on or just below a pearl’s surface.

Bodycolor is a component that all pearls display. But what varies from one pearl to another is the fact that some will show either overtone or orient, or a pearl can show both. When describing the bodycolors of pearls, it’s typically easier to group them into ranges using standard color terminology to provide a consistent way of understanding and sharing information about the pearl’s color. Pearl bodycolor ranges generally fall into three categories:

• Neutrals – White, gray, and black
• Near Neutrals – Silver, cream, and brown
• Hues – All other colors

As we defined earlier in this blog post, overtone is one or more of the translucent colors that lie over a pearl’s bodycolor. Research has shown that overtone is caused by the diffraction of light around the fine edges of the area where nacre crystals overlap.

Overtone is another important consideration when determining the value of a pearl. For example, a rosé (pink) overtone on white Akoya cultured pearls is highly desirable, so it can potentially increase their value. On the other hand, a green overtone on white Akoya cultured pearls is less desirable and decreases their value.

Rosé to purple overtones on dark green-gray to blue-gray Tahitian pearls creates a color known in the trade as “peacock”. Tahitian pearls are more typically gray, and they're the only naturally "black" pearls. The peacock-like color is among the most highly valued in Tahitian cultured pearls, and it wouldn’t exist without overtone.

Orient, the third aspect of pearl color, happens when a pearl’s surface interferes with the passage of light and breaks it into its component colors, which produces the rainbow effect. Orient occurs most often when the pearl’s surface is irregular, such as when the surface of the shell looks as if it has little ripples all around it. Orient increases the value of pearls for three reasons: 1) orient usually indicates thick, high-quality nacre; 2) it’s rare and very desirable; and 3) it’s beautiful!

Types of Pearls and Their Colors

Start expanding your concept of how a pearl should look! We've already mentioned a number of different types of pearls and their colors, but if you're seeking a specific type of pearl color, then you'll want to know about all the options available to you. Here's a rundown:
Akoya cultured pearls are typically available in white or cream colors, and these are the classic pearls used for jewelry, more specifically single-strand necklaces.

South Sea cultured pearls can be found in the following colors, depending on the specific oyster: white to silver or golden.

As mentioned earlier, Tahitian cultured pearls are sometimes referred to as "black" pearls, but they do have a wide color range. Most often, they're gray or brown with blue, green, purple, or pink overtones.

The type of pearl with the greatest color range is the freshwater cultured pearl, which is also the most commonly produced variety. They can be found in pink, gold, green, peach, gray, white, cream, lavender, and blue.

Symbolism of Pearl Colors

In another blog post, we wrote about the symbolic meaning of pearl colors. When choosing a pearl gift for someone, you may want to consider the meaning behind the color of pearl you're selecting. If you're interested in exploring the topic further, please click here. Here's a summary of the information.

White: A white pearl represents innocence as well as new beginnings, so this color pearl is perfect for a girl or a young woman embarking on a meaningful transition. If you know someone who's getting married, graduating from college, or starting a new job, then a white pearl may be the perfect gift.

Pink: Pink is a popular pearl color choice, since it's universally flattering and very feminine. Pink represents concepts like romance and radiance; pink pearls are also believed by some to bring success and good fortune to the wearer. If you know a woman who's working hard to achieve a goal or who could use some extra luck, then pink pearls are the perfect gift.

Black: Black pearls represent concepts like strength and independence. If you know someone who loves to be daring in her style, then she would likely appreciate black pearls. Entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators are all women who could use a black pearl jewelry gift.

Purple: Endlessly captivating, the purple pearl symbolizes wisdom and creativity. When you see a purple pearl, then you will surely feel that it possesses some kind of magical powers or wisdom. These make excellent gifts for teachers, professors, researchers, artists, and musicians.

Yellow: Cheerful and bright, yellow pearls represent optimism and happiness. For the "light of your life", a yellow pearl can make the perfect gift. In addition, if you know someone who's going through a difficult period, then a yellow pearl necklace can remind her to stay positive and remain hopeful for the future.

Blue: Blue pearls represent concepts like tranquility, truth, and trust. Do you know someone who's anxious and often stressed? Then a gift of blue pearls can encourage them to feel more calm and grounded.

Golden: Pearls in a golden shade are ultra luxe. They represent wealth and prosperity, so they're a great gift for someone who recently met their financial goals or got a raise at work.

Popularity of Pearl Colors

Many factors influence the popularity of different pearl colors at different times throughout history. In addition, some pearl colors complement certain skin tones better than others. Plus, fashion trends can also affect pearl color choices. Of course, nothing is as iconic as the classic white strand necklace, but you should also feel encouraged to think outside of the box with pearl jewelry.

More recently, one pearl color trend involves pairing unique and rare pearls with colored gems in very modern jewelry silhouettes. For example, you may see a ring with a gray Tahitian pearl and a band with purple sapphire baguettes and diamond accents. Jewelry designers are getting very creative with how they showcase pearls! We've also seen pearls paired with unique details like precious metal fringe.

White and pink are the most universally flattering pearl colors, so they never really go out of style. If you've ever tried to match beauty products to your skin tone, then you've probably heard that skin can be either warm or cool. To determine the tone of your skin, look at the veins on the inside of your wrist: if they appear more blue, then you're cool-toned, but if you see more green, then you're warm toned.

Cool-toned jewelry tends to look best on cool-toned people, and white is a cool tone when it's pure white. Warm-toned jewelry tends to look best on warm-toned people, and pink as well as ivory are warmer tones. However, these rules only serve as guidelines, and you can try different pearl colors against your skin to find your personal preference. Don't let beauty and fashion rules dictate what you love!

How to Style Pearl Colors

Some women are afraid to wear pearls with other types of jewelry because they worry it might clash or look inappropriate. In another one of our blog posts, we wrote about tips for styling pearl jewelry with other jewelry pieces. You can learn more about this topic by clicking here.

To get the most out of your jewelry wardrobe, you'll definitely want to learn about styling your pearls, no matter what color they are. First, you'll want to get comfortable with layering your jewelry. Layering is a top fashion trend that isn't expected to go away anytime soon, and you can make pearls the central focus of your layering. The top rule about layering is not to take your layers too seriously and to have fun with them. Depending on the size of your pearls, you may want to try layering with some thicker or thinner chains. You can even add a pendant necklace for an extra bold statement.

We discussed overtones earlier in this blog post, and we want to emphasize that they can play an important role in how you choose to style your pearl jewelry with other pieces from your collection. The overtones in your pearl jewelry can guide you toward sensible and stylish jewelry pairings. Pure white overtones look beautiful with sterling silver or white gold, while pearls with golden overtones always look best with yellow gold.

When styling your pearl jewelry, you should also consider the occasion and time of day. We have a blog post titled "How to Style Pearl Jewelry for Both Day and Evening Wear" that will steer you in the right direction. When styling for daytime, you'll want to know that the softness of pearls always looks great with sumptuous fabrics like cashmere and silk, so think about pairing pearls with your favorite blouse or sweater.

If you're wearing pearls for an evening event, then they can be ideal for dressing up. They can be simple, so they don't compete with an elaborate gown, or they can take your look to a whole new level for the ultimate in glitz and glam.

If you're in doubt about how to style your pearls, you should know that you can never go wrong with diamonds, "a girl's best friend"! Diamond simulants like cubic zirconia, white topaz, and moissanite are also excellent pairings for pearls. Pearls add warmth to diamonds and their alternatives, making them more accessible for casual, everyday wear.

Takeaways About Pearl Color

The science and study of pearls is ongoing, but we do know a lot now about the factors - such as environment and the hosting mollusk - that determine a pearl’s color. Always remember that pearls come in a plethora of amazing colors, and whether they materialized naturally or were color cultured, there’s a pearl for every preference and personality!

Do you need help choosing the perfect pearl gift for your loved one? We're happy to assist you with your shopping journey. Simply visit our Contact page to get in touch and for further support.

You can also start building your own Add-A-Pearl sentimental necklace by visiting this page.