Pearl Shape

The perfectly round shape is exceedingly rare in natural pearls has a drastic influence on the price. The shapes of cultured pearls are usually divided into round, symmetrical and baroque shapes. The pictures and description below are showing the most common seven shapes:

Round shape:
	Perfectly Round: perfectly spherical shape with unaided eye;
	Off-round: is spherical shape to unaided eye or symmetrical shape with good symmetry;
Symmetrical shape:
	Oval: An Egg shape is considered a deviation of the Oval shape;
	Button: round, slightly or distinctly flattened shape, divided into high button and button;
	Drop: pear shape includes longish pear shape and short;
Baroque shape:
	Semi-baroque: irregular shape; distinctly off-round to irregular shape to the unaided eye;
	Baroque: the baroque shape means an irregularly shaped pearl or cultured pearl. Baroque was originally a French adjective used to describe objects or pearls that were not symmetrical in shape.
	More than a third of the surface shows clear circles and ridges. When only a few circles are present, they are graded under surface.

In order to grade the shape of a pearl, the pearl is first rolled over in all directions when placed on a flat surface before it is picked up again and turned between two fingers.

For Akoya cultured pearls, round shapes are easy found. Buttons and drops are rare and fancy shapes are almost never encountered. Perfectly round shapes are rare in freshwater cultured pearls but so-called rice crispies and baroque shapes are normal.

For South Sea cultured pearls, nearly round shapes has got about 20% of the Australian products, while the percentage is lower in other countries. The symmetrical and baroque shapes and circles represent about half of the production.

Tahitian cultured pearl’s shapes are graded in accordance with the Akoya shape system and the shapes are also classified into round, symmetrical or baroque shapes.