Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed when trying to choose which
pearl jewellery to buy online? There are so many questions. What is the
difference between type A and type B? Why is the one more expensive than the
other?
We’d like to clear up some of the confusion for you, which is why
we are comparing two types of popular pearls that both come in large sizes:
Edison pearls and South Sea pearls.
South Sea pearls are produced inside the Pinctada
maxima mollusc, found throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are
cultivated primarily in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar.
Edison Vs South Sea Pearls: Growing Environment
South Sea pearls are cultivated in the ocean, in other words in
saltwater, while Edison pearls are freshwater pearls, grown in a river, lake,
or stream.
Edison Vs South Sea Pearls: Colour Range
There are five different standard pearl colour series:
White series, which include pure white, milky white, silvery
white, and porcelain white.
Yellow series, which include light yellow, golden, champagne, and
orange.
Red series, which include pink, light rose, and light purple.Black series, which include black, blue-black, grey-black,
brown-grey, purple-grey, brown-black, and iron-grey.
Other series, which include purple, brown, cyan, blue, red-purple,
green-yellow, light blue, green, and bronze.
South Sea pearls only come in the white, yellow, and black colour
series, while Edison pearls can fall into all pearl colour series.
Ever wondered where pearls get their colors from? A number of
factors determine the colors of the lustrous jewel produced.
Internal factors
Organic color pigments
such as porphyry, carotenoid, and metal elements, and organic matter.
External factors
The
body color of the mother-of-pearl, the color of the bead or
tissue used for nucleation, microelements in the water, water temperature,
water pH value, and composition concentrations which mainly depend on the
cultivation technology.Edison
pearls come in so many exquisite natural colors because the pearl mussels used
for cultivation have undergone ten years of gene modification and development
by researchers at the Zhejiang University. The mussels are then cultivated in a
natural-flowing, mineral-rich aquatic environment for more than three years,
which results in a spectrum of beautiful colours.
Edison Vs South Sea Pearls: Size
Edison pearls usually come in sizes larger than 11mm with the most
common in the 11-12mm range.
Akoya and Tahitian pearls rarely reach these large diameters. But
Australian White South Sea pearls and Golden South Sea pearls do reach
substantial sizes, although, for the same price you can get bigger Edison
pearls with superior luster.
Edison
Vs South Sea Pearls: Price
Since Edison pearls are grown in freshwater it is easier to
control and improve the water quality. South Sea pearls, on the other hand, are
grown in the sea, so water quality is difficult to control, which makes the
cultivation cost much higher. This makes a big difference to the pricing of
these pearls. For the same quality, Edison pearls are much more affordable.
Which Pearls Will You Choose?
There are many reasons why you would select one type of pearl over
another. It all depends on your preferences. Are you looking for something
affordable? Do you want pearls that are rare, so the price you pay for them is
irrelevant? Do you want a wider variety of colours to choose from? Do you
choose pearl jewellery solely based on whether you like the design or not? Do
you like large pearls, or do you prefer something more petite?
We have both Edison pearls and South Sea
pearls in our shop. Take a look – you’re sure to find something to suit
your style.
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