Dark Coloured Pearls

[lucyryalls]

Hi Everyone,

I really need to clear this up to save my sanity - so any info in appreciated!

As far as I know (which currently is not that much), there are no other commercially available naturally coloured dark pearls other than Tahitian, however In the GIA's pearls course notes, on the chart of typical characteristics of Akoya cultured pearls there appears to be a very dark blue pearl? This is confusing the hell out of me - someone please put me out of my misery, and tell me that this is just a bad photograph!

Thanks a lot
Lucy

 

[pearl guide]

You are correct. Although there are rare exceptions, commercially you are correct.
Blue is a color in Akoya, however. It is typically called "the natural" color. It is not often deep blue, more of a gray blue. But the shades vary. Harvested Akoyas of this color are occassionally sold, but more often dyed dark or bleached as white as possible.