Pearl shapes

Pearl shape can range all the way from baroque to perfect round, wit different shapes being considered more valuable than other because of their rarity. Although classic pearl shape is round, pearls are available in many unique shapes that are just beautiful and captivating.

Shape of pearl is most important value determining factor. The rounder the pearl, the more valuable it is. The pearl often get the same shape of its nucleus. The nucleus is an irritant placed inside the oyster to initiate the formation of pearls. if nucleus is not perfectly round then pearls are likely to get irregular shape. Position of oyster within oyster shell also affects the shape of pearls. There are three main categories of pearls depending on the shape; spherical, symmetrical and baroque.

A round or spherical pearl is perfectly symmetrical and if you roll it flat surface it rolls in a straight line. Perfectly round pearls are very rarely produced. This is because the perfect round shape depends on various factors. Pearls that are “visually’ round but have slightly different shape are called almost round, off-round and roundish pearls. Some off-round pearls are also called as egg round or potato shape.

Symmetrical pearls are not round pearls, but they do have some specific shape with symmetry. This category includes button pearls, coin pearls, oval pearls, peanut pearls, pear shaped pearls, rice pearls, stick pearls, twin pearls and wheat pearls. All these pearls have some specific shape with symmetry.

Baroque pearls are pearls without any specific shape. These are least expensive variety of any cultured pearls. These pearls are popular for their unique shapes. Sometimes baroque pearls have rings or grooves on their surface, these baroque pearls are known as ringed or circled pearls.

There is one more type of pearls with unique shape. These are mabe or blister pearls. These pearls have on flat surface. These pearls are produced when nucleus is fixed inside the shell wall than body tissue of oyster.

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