Freshwater Pearls

Pearls come in a rainbow of designer colors, which fall into four general categories.

• Natural: : which include pink, peach, mauve, white, cream, and some grays.
• Dyed: if it does not look natural and the string is the same color as the pearl it is a good bet its been dyed, many of these colors include teal, blue, purple, odd shades of pink, yellow, green, taupe, and brown.
• Chemically Treated: it is hard to determine which pearls have been chemically treated to change there color, in most cases the strings are discolored but this could also represent a dye bath, this process is used mainly for the darker colors such as grays, peacocks, browns and gold.
• Irradiated: unfortunately because the coloring of pearls is a well guarded secret in Japan (China sends most of the pearls to be colored to Japan) we do not know exactly which colors are irradiated though it is usually the darker colors which could also be produced chemically. The myth that irradiated pearls cause cancer may be just that, as there has been no proof of any specific incidents.

Many Chinese pearls used to be dyed in the 1980s to bright red, blue, lavender, yellow or even black. In response to contemporary preferences, they now offer a selection of subtle

Fresh Water Pearls come in a wide variety of colors but just assume that most pearls have been dyed, bleached or altered in some way. All of the colors seem to be permanent, although it is suggested that you wash dyed pearls before you use them to be sure that any residue has been cleaned away. Many times the dye is caught in the holes, since the pearls are strung before being colored, and this could come out during restringing. Warm water and a mild soap like Ivory is all you need, leave them strung, gently swish in water or just soak for a while and then let hang to pearls air dry.

From George Frederick Kunz's, 1908 masterpiece, 'The Book of the Pearl'

The Chinese freshwater pearls come in a wide color range that includes white, champagne, cream, orange, pink, purple, lilac, mauve, blue and brown.

Bleaching, dying, and polishing do occur. Except for the old Arabic practice of sun-bleaching in the Persian Gulf, naturals were practically never processed. Chinese pearls that are nearly white or mottled are usually bleached to make them whiter and more uniform. With the same methods perfected by the Japanese, the Chinese use a mild bleach, bright fluorescent lights, and heat. They polish surfaces by tumbling pearls in pumice or similar substances. The idea, as always, is to facilitate matching pearls for strands. natural colors

Jerry Smith, Beads
Gemstone Beads -- Serving the Beading Community..Since 1999