At Äkta by Hildur, we believe that high quality materials and competence is the key to building lasting and strong customer relationships. You can read all about the pearls we use below, if you have any further questions - please don't hesitate to ask!
Freshwater Pearls
This is the most common genuine pearl, and rightfully so. It is a versatile pearl which comes in all shapes and sizes, from under 1 mm to large, baroque 15 mm beauties. The color can also vary, from crispy white to soft peach, pink and purple. Most freshwater pearls are grown in China and Thailand, but some also have their origin in the United States. Freshwater oysters can produce up to 50 pearls per harvest and also grow relatively quickly, which is why freshwaterpearls are so affordable compared to saltwater pearls.
Akoya Pearls
The Japanese saltwater akoya pearl is one of the most luxurious and sought after pearls in the world. The iconic pink overtones and high luster make them very desirable. Akoya pearls are almost exclusively white or light gray and a top quality strain can fetch large sums at gem shows around the world. As all saltwater pearls, akoya pearls are grown one by one in the oyster and take years to be ready for harvest.
Tahitian Pearls
Tahitian pearls grown predominantly in French Polynesia, sometimes referred to as Queen of Pearls, are most known for their naturally darker shades. Gray, golden, brown, black, silver, peacock green and even aubergine or midnight blue are just some of the colors this unique pearl has to offer. Tahitian pearls are saltwater pearls and grown in their oyster one by one, very slowly, using a nucleus.
Southsea Pearls
Southsea pearls are saltwater pearls primarily grown in Australia, Indonesia and the Phillipenes. They are white or golden (called golden southsea pearls) and can grow up to a massive 20mm. They are some of the most exclusive pearls on the market and can be very pricey.
Edison Pearls
The Edison pearl is the new addition to the pearl market and were first introduced to the world in 2010. Combining the technique of growning saltwater and freshwater pearls, farmers have found a way to grow large and lustrous pearls faster than saltwater pearls and with greater success in quality and shape than freshwater pearls. This is done by allowing each pearl to stay for a longer period of time in its freshwater oyster shell as well as letting only one pearl at a time grow. The colors are rich and range from white and peach to purple, golden, pink and gray-ish.
The Edison pearl gets its name from the famous Thomas Edison who has alledgedly said "There are two things which couldn’t be made at my laboratory – diamonds and pearls.”, but as we know, labgrown diamonds have been around for some time, and finally a new way of growing pearls has also been discovered.
Keshi, baroque, round, button or drop?
The shape of a pearl is described using a few terms that may be foregni to the new pearl connaisseur, so here is a short guide. All of these terms are simply to describe the shape, not the kind of pearl, meaning that there are both freshwater and saltwater varieties.
Keshi pearls, sometimes called soufflé pearls, are technically a biproduct of pearl farming. They are light and hollow as they are formed around soft matter rather than solid. They have a collapsed, cloud like shape and a very bright luster.
Baroque is a word used primarily to say that a pearl is not perfectly round, but irregular. All pearls can be described as either baroque or non-baroque, however the word baroque is usually used to describe a heavily non-symmetrical pearl. They are becoming more and more popular each year.
Round pearls are round and perfectly marble shaped and the most expensive and sought after type of shape. They are the rarest since oysters seldomly create perfectly round pearls, and because of their symmetri.
Button pearls are round pearls that are slightly or very flat, thereby resembing buttons. They are especially suitable for making stud earrings or rings.
Drop pearls are, as you might have guessed, drop shaped. They can be long or short, small or large.