https://learnaboutpearls.com/ A reference on pearls: how they form, the main types, quality, grading, buying and care. Published by Unique Pearl, a pearl jeweler. en-us Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://learnaboutpearls.com/about/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/about/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Who publishes Learn About Pearls, why, how the site is paid for, and how editorial decisions are made, with education first and no paid placements. https://learnaboutpearls.com/accessibility/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/accessibility/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How Learn About Pearls is built for everyone: the standard it aims for, how pages are tested, what works without JavaScript, and how to report a problem. https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/akoya-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/akoya-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Akoya cultured pearls from the Pinctada fucata oyster: where they're farmed, how they're grown, their sizes and colors, quality, treatments and care. https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/akoya-vs-freshwater-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/akoya-vs-freshwater-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Akoya and freshwater cultured pearls side by side: the mollusks and water they grow in, their sizes, colors, nacre and price, and how labs tell them apart. https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/akoya-vs-south-sea-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/akoya-vs-south-sea-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Akoya and South Sea cultured pearls side by side: oyster and pearl size, nacre thickness, luster, colors, growing time, treatments and relative price. https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/are-my-pearls-real/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/are-my-pearls-real/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT A checklist for telling pearls from imitations at home: the surface and drill hole under a loupe, the tooth test, and what only a laboratory can tell you. https://learnaboutpearls.com/farming/are-pearls-ethical-and-sustainable/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/farming/are-pearls-ethical-and-sustainable/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT The ethics and footprint of pearls: effects on water, wild oyster stocks, the oysters themselves and the people involved, and the questions to ask a seller. https://learnaboutpearls.com/buying/mens-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/buying/mens-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Men and pearls, from Julius Caesar and Charles I's pearl earring to George III's pearl buttons and Emily Post's pearl studs, and how to choose pearls today. https://learnaboutpearls.com/care/what-damages-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/care/what-damages-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT What harms pearls and what doesn't: water, chlorine, cosmetics, acids, heat, light, dry air and scratches, and why pearls can change color over the years. https://learnaboutpearls.com/wearing/pearls-for-weddings-and-graduations/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/wearing/pearls-for-weddings-and-graduations/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Pearls at weddings and graduations: the old belief that pearls mean tears, pearls as a wedding gift, brides and pearls in history, and June celebrations. https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/compare-pearl-types/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/compare-pearl-types/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Compare Akoya, freshwater, South Sea, Tahitian and keshi cultured pearls side by side: mollusk, water, regions, sizes, shapes, colors, growing time and more. https://learnaboutpearls.com/contact/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/contact/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How to reach the Learn About Pearls editors: ask a question about pearls, suggest a correction to a page, or send a privacy, reuse or press request. https://learnaboutpearls.com/corrections/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/corrections/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Every correction made to Learn About Pearls, newest first, with the date, the page, what it said before and what it says now. Suggest one from any page. https://learnaboutpearls.com/science/pearl-producing-mollusks/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/science/pearl-producing-mollusks/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Which mollusks make pearls: pearl oysters, freshwater mussels, and the clams, conchs, scallops and other mollusks that make natural pearls without nacre. https://learnaboutpearls.com/editorial-policy/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/editorial-policy/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How Learn About Pearls chooses topics, which sources it trusts, how AI is used, who reviews each page, how corrections work and how conflicts are handled. https://learnaboutpearls.com/media/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/media/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT For journalists, researchers and teachers: who publishes Learn About Pearls, how to quote and cite it, where to get its data, and how to reach the editors. https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/freshwater-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/freshwater-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Freshwater cultured pearls from mussels in China: how they're grown, their sizes, shapes and colors, quality, treatments, price and how labs identify them. https://learnaboutpearls.com/grading/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/grading/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How pearls are graded: why there is no single worldwide system, how GIA's lab grades pearls, and how Japan and French Polynesia have classified them. https://learnaboutpearls.com/identification/dyed-and-treated-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/identification/dyed-and-treated-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Pearl treatments from bleaching and dyeing to irradiation, heating and coating: how labs detect them, how long they last, and what sellers must disclose. https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-size-visualizer/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-size-visualizer/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT See pearls drawn at true size, from 1 to 20 mm across, next to a US quarter and the typical sizes of Akoya, freshwater, South Sea, Tahitian and keshi pearls. https://learnaboutpearls.com/identification/how-to-tell-if-pearls-are-real/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/identification/how-to-tell-if-pearls-are-real/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How to tell real pearls from imitations: what the surface, the drill hole and the tooth test can show, what they can't prove, and what a gem lab adds. https://learnaboutpearls.com/farming/how-pearl-farms-work/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/farming/how-pearl-farms-work/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How cultured pearls are farmed, step by step: collecting or breeding the mollusks, grafting, tending them in the water, harvesting, and processing the pearls. https://learnaboutpearls.com/basics/how-pearls-form/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/basics/how-pearls-form/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How natural and cultured pearls form inside a mollusk, from the pearl sac and layers of nacre to beads and grafts, and how long each type takes to grow. https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Side-by-side comparisons of Akoya, freshwater, South Sea and Tahitian cultured pearls, and of natural vs cultured and saltwater vs freshwater pearls. https://learnaboutpearls.com/care/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/care/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How to care for pearls: what damages them, how to wear, clean and store them, and when a strand needs restringing, following GIA and CIBJO advice. https://learnaboutpearls.com/buying/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/buying/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How to choose and buy pearls: what each type costs relative to the others, how to judge quality, what to ask a seller, and when a lab report is worth it. https://learnaboutpearls.com/care/how-to-clean-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/care/how-to-clean-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How to clean pearls safely: wipe after wear, wash gently in warm soapy water, dry a strand properly, and avoid ultrasonic cleaners, ammonia, acids and heat. https://learnaboutpearls.com/identification/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/identification/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How pearls are identified: telling pearls from imitations, natural from cultured, saltwater from freshwater, and spotting treatments, plus what labs test. https://learnaboutpearls.com/quality/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/quality/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How pearl quality is judged on seven value factors, size, shape, color, luster, surface, nacre and matching, and what each one means for a pearl's value. https://learnaboutpearls.com/wearing/how-to-style-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/wearing/how-to-style-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How pearls are worn: necklace lengths, mixing colors and shapes, earrings, rings and pendants, how fashions have changed, and whether pearls suit a funeral. https://learnaboutpearls.com/farming/how-long-pearls-take-to-grow/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/farming/how-long-pearls-take-to-grow/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How long cultured pearls take to grow, from under a year for many Akoya to years for freshwater and South Sea pearls, and why growing time affects nacre. https://learnaboutpearls.com/buying/what-are-pearls-worth/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/buying/what-are-pearls-worth/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT What makes pearls valuable: natural or cultured, the type of pearl, the seven value factors, treatment and supply, with an auction record and production values. https://learnaboutpearls.com/care/restringing-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/care/restringing-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How often to restring pearls, the sign that a strand needs it, why pearls are knotted, and how to keep the silk thread from stretching between restrings. https://learnaboutpearls.com/cite/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/cite/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How to cite Learn About Pearls pages and datasets, what you may quote, and the CC BY 4.0 license for the data. Quoting with attribution and a link is welcome. https://learnaboutpearls.com/wearing/30th-anniversary-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/wearing/30th-anniversary-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Pearl and the 30th wedding anniversary: what GIA says, how anniversary lists have changed since Emily Post's 1922 list, and how to choose anniversary pearls. https://learnaboutpearls.com/wearing/june-birthstone/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/wearing/june-birthstone/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Yes, pearl is a June birthstone, with alexandrite and moonstone: where the US list comes from, what pearls mean, where they come from and how to care for them. https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/keshi-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/keshi-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Keshi are cultured pearls with no bead, formed on Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian pearl farms: how they form, their sizes and shapes, and how labs identify them. https://learnaboutpearls.com/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT A reference on pearls, covering how they form, the main types, quality and grading, how to tell real from imitation, and how to buy and care for them. https://learnaboutpearls.com/data/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/data/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Download the Learn About Pearls datasets: pearl types, glossary and timeline as JSON or CSV with JSON Schemas, under CC BY 4.0, with sources for every value. https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/natural-vs-cultured-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/natural-vs-cultured-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Natural and cultured pearls compared: how each one forms, how rare natural pearls are, how labs tell them apart, and how each is named and weighed. https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-care-planner/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-care-planner/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT A care plan for your own pearls: what to do after each wear, how to clean and store them, what never to use, and when to have them checked and restrung. https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Plain-English definitions of pearl terms, from Akoya and aragonite to X-radiography, each with its sources, related terms and the page that covers it. https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/necklace-length-guide/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/necklace-length-guide/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Enter a pearl necklace's length in centimeters or inches and see its standard name, from collar and choker to princess, matinee, opera, sautoir and rope. https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-quality-self-check/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/pearl-quality-self-check/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Check a pearl yourself against GIA's value factors, from luster and surface to nacre, shape and matching, and read what GIA says about what you see. https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/tools/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Interactive pearl tools for necklace lengths, true-size pearls, pearl types, quality, telling real from imitation, care and where pearls are farmed. https://learnaboutpearls.com/privacy/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/privacy/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT What Learn About Pearls collects: no cookies or ads, only the messages readers choose to send, how they're used and kept, and how to ask for them to be deleted. https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/real-vs-imitation-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/real-vs-imitation-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT How pearls grown by mollusks differ from manufactured imitations: what imitations are made of, how they fool people, how to tell, and what they must be called. https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/saltwater-vs-freshwater-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/saltwater-vs-freshwater-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Saltwater and freshwater cultured pearls compared: oysters versus mussels, beads versus tissue, one pearl versus many, output, price, chemistry and naming. https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/south-sea-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/south-sea-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT South Sea cultured pearls from the Pinctada maxima oyster: where they're farmed, white and golden colors, sizes, nacre, quality, treatments and care. https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/south-sea-vs-tahitian-pearls/ https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/south-sea-vs-tahitian-pearls/#published Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT South Sea and Tahitian cultured pearls side by side: their oysters and origins, colors, sizes, nacre and growing times, and how labs tell them apart.