No two pearls share a colour or a shape — and that is not a flaw in the product, it is the product. This page is our field guide: how pearl colour is actually made, what the shapes are called, and how to choose the one that was always going to be yours.
Last updated: 2026
How pearl colour works
A pearl's colour is three things at once:
- Body colour — the base tone: white, cream, grey, gold, black.
- Overtone — the tint floating above the base: rose, silver, green, gold, blue. A white pearl with a rose overtone reads warmer; with silver, cooler.
- Orient — the rainbow shimmer that moves as the pearl turns, like light on the inside of a shell.
All three come from the structure of the nacre itself — light passing through microscopic layers and returning changed. This is why colour cannot be judged from a photograph alone, and why we photograph in honest light and describe in honest words.
The colours, family by family
- White and silver (Akoya, South Sea, freshwater) — the classics. Silver overtones suit cool skin tones; rose overtones warm them beautifully.
- Cream and champagne — gentler than white, lovely against warm and neutral skin tones; the colour of candlelight.
- Golden (South Sea) — rare, warm and regal; deep gold is the most sought-after.
- Dark and Tahitian — grey, green, blue, aubergine, with peacock overtones most prized. Striking on every skin tone precisely because no two are alike.
- Pink and lavender (freshwater) — soft, romantic, flattering; lovely in baroque shapes.
Choosing your colour
The old jeweller's trick: hold the pearl near your face in daylight. If your skin looks brighter, it is yours. Cool overtones (silver, green, blue) flatter cooler complexions; warm overtones (rose, cream, gold) flatter warmer ones. And the rule above all rules — wear the colour you love. The pearl will meet you halfway.
The shapes
| Shape | What it is | How it wears |
|---|---|---|
| Round | Perfectly spherical — the rarest of all | The classic strand and stud; timeless |
| Near-round | Slightly off-spherical, undetectable at a glance | Looks classic, priced more gently |
| Oval | Elongated, symmetrical | Elegant in drops and pendants |
| Drop / teardrop | One end narrower, like a falling tear | The earring shape; elongates the neck |
| Button | Flattened on one side | Sits close on studs and rings |
| Semi-baroque | Irregular but with a clear form | Character with restraint |
| Baroque | Fully irregular — no two alike | One-of-one pieces; the collector's shape |
| Circle | Ringed around the pearl's axis | Distinctive, often Tahitian; loved by designers |
| Keshi | Small, all-nacre, free-form | High lustre, playful, unique |
Shape and style
Round and near-round pearls are the rarest and carry the highest value per millimetre — symmetry is difficult for an oyster. But do not mistake rarity for superiority: a fine baroque pearl is a small sculpture the sea made by itself, and many of our most-loved pieces are baroque. Choose round for the eternal, baroque for the unrepeatable.
A note on pairs and strands
Matching is its own art: a pair must agree in colour, lustre, size and surface; a strand must agree as a family. The more pearls in the piece, the rarer the match — which is why a matched strand of large pearls can take years to assemble, and why we grade matching as strictly as the pearls themselves.