Pearl Colors

Natural pearl colors
Although most people are used to seeing white pearls, pearls are actually available in a natural rainbow of colors. The primary determinant of pearl color is the species of mollusks that produce them. For cultured pearls implanted with a bead to begin the nacre producing process, the color of pearl may also depend on the color of the bead as well as the origin of the tissue inserted with the bead. The color of the bead may show through the layers of nacre ?thereby influencing the color of the pearl. Because the implanted tissue secretes nacre, the tissue origin also affects the color of the pearl. For example, if the tissue is from a region that secreted black nacre, the pearl created will also be black. Last, trace elements present in the water, such as iron, magnesium, or aluminum, may also affect the pearl color.

Variety	Type	Implant	Natural colors
Akoya	Saltwater	Bead + Tissue	White body color with overtones of cream, gold, silver, green, blue, and rose
South Sea	Saltwater	Bead + Tissue	Silver-white, pink, cream, and gold
Freshwater	Freshwater	Tissue/ Implant + Tissue	White, cream, gold, silver, pink, rose, lavender, plum, tangerine, and mocha
Tahitian	Saltwater	Bead + Tissue	Grey, black, green & purple

Each pearl is a complex layering of color. The body color is defined as the dominant overall color of a pearl. The overtone, or secondary color, may be one or more translucent colors that appear over a pearl's body color. To observe the overtone in a white pearl, place the pearl on a white background under direct light. The outside ring of the pearl will reflect the white background, but the overtone will appear in the dark area in the middle area of the pearl. For dark pearls, the overtones will appear in the lighter areas of the pearl when placed under light.

Color preference
The color does not affect the quality of a pearl, but it may affect the perceived beauty of the pearl according to individual preferences. At Dahlia, we occasionally offer rare colors that may be available on a limited basis. Extremely rare colors may be priced higher, and unusual pearl colors such as blue may be auctioned at Sotheby's or Christie's. Some colors are more popular than others in particular markets. For example, white pearls are the most popular in America, while silver colors are more sought after in Asia.

Dyed pearl colors
Some pearls are the market may be dyed, and according to the Federal Trade Commission, manufacturers are required to disclose this information to the customer. However, many manufacturers fail to disclose this information. Dyeing is typically applied after drilling, and frequently leaves color concentrations in cracks, fissures, and drill holes. These dye residues can be difficult to see, particularly in strung pearls, so detection requires careful visual examination under magnification. Dyeing typically changes the color of conchiolin permanently and renders the pearls virtually indistinguishable from natural or cultured colors if processed correctly. High quality pearls that are dyed or color treated will not fade over time. A dyed pearl can usually be detected by examining the drill hole to look for an uneven concentration of color. Size is a good gauge to tell if a black pearl is a natural color because most cultured blacks are 9 mm or larger, whereas blackened Akoya or Freshwater pearls rarely exceed 9 mm.

Matching colors
At Dahlia, each jewelry set, comprised of a combination of a pendant, necklace, bracelet and/or pair of earrings, is hand selected for consistent color within the set. But if, for example, you purchase a necklace and subsequently a bracelet of the same color, the color may be slightly different from item to item, as pearls naturally exhibit color variation.

Online colors
Colors on our website are shown as representations and are only as accurate as your computer monitor can produce. The display of colors will vary depending upon your system settings.