Types of Allure Pearls
Pearls come in a wide range of types, colours, sizes and qualities, and understanding the differences can make it much easier to choose the right piece. This guide covers the main pearl varieties, including Australian South Sea, Philippines South Sea and Tahitian pearls, along with the factors that influence their appearance, value and wearability.
From natural colour and lustre to shape, size and origin, this guide is designed to help you compare pearl types with confidence and find the style that best suits your taste, budget and jewellery preferences.
Australian South Sea Pearls (White)
Australian South Sea pearls are widely recognised for their exceptional lustre, generous size, and thick nacre. Grown in the silver-lipped Pinctada maxima oyster and sourced from Northern Australia, these white pearls are considered the benchmark for quality white South Sea pearls worldwide.
For buyers comparing pearl types by origin, colour, size, and overall value, Australian South Sea pearls are known for their rarity, beauty, and premium appeal.
Origin: Northern Australia, particularly Broome and Eighty Mile Beach
Oyster: Pinctada maxima (silver-lipped)
Colours: White, silver, soft pink overtones
Size: 8–20mm+, with most Australian South Sea pearls generally measuring 10mm and above. Pearls under 10mm are more commonly grown in Indonesia.
Characteristics:
- Highest lustre
- Thick nacre
- Large average size
Significance:
- Widely regarded as the benchmark for quality white South Sea pearls
- Valued for their rarity, natural beauty, and premium size range
- Sourced from Australia’s highly regarded pearling regions
- Australia is home to the world’s last remaining wild Pinctada maxima fishery, strictly regulated for sustainability
Tahitian South Sea Pearls (Black)
Tahitian South Sea pearls are known for their naturally dark body colour, rich overtones, and unmistakably dramatic look. Cultivated in French Polynesia in the black-lipped Pinctada margaritifera oyster, they are admired for colours that range from silver and charcoal through to green, peacock, and jet black.
Their darker palette and metallic lustre give them a more distinctive, modern appearance than traditional white pearls, making them one of the most recognisable and sought-after pearl varieties in the world.
Origin: French Polynesia
Oyster: Pinctada margaritifera (black-lipped)
Colours: Silver, green, peacock, charcoal, jet black
Size: 7–16mm (mostly 8–12mm)
Characteristics:
- Naturally dark body colour
- Strong metallic overtones
- Distinctive lustre
- Rich depth of colour
Significance:
- One of the few pearl types with a naturally dark body colour rather than artificial treatment
- Highly regarded for their exotic colour range and striking appearance
- Often chosen for bold, contemporary pearl jewellery styles
South Sea Pearls (Gold)
Gold South Sea pearls are admired for their naturally warm colour, impressive size, and rich, luxurious appearance. Grown in the gold-lipped Pinctada maxima oyster in the Philippines and Indonesia, these pearls range from soft champagne through to deep gold.
Their colour develops naturally through the oyster and its environment, making them one of the most distinctive and highly prized South Sea pearl varieties.
Origin: Philippines / Indonesia
Oyster: Pinctada maxima (gold-lipped)
Colours: Natural champagne to deep gold
Size: 8–21mm (mostly 9–16mm)
Characteristics:
- Same species as Australian pearls
- Colour determined by the oyster’s lip and environment
Significance:
- Naturally golden, never dyed at Allure
- Valued for their rich colour and striking visual warmth
- Australian white South Sea pearls and Philippines gold South Sea pearls come from the same Pinctada maxima species, with differences shaped by oyster lip colour and growing conditions
Virtues of a Pearl
Pearl quality is determined through expert visual assessment, not machines. Professional graders assess pearls individually using key criteria:
Lustre
Lustre is the quality that gives a pearl its signature inner glow and reflective beauty. It is widely considered the most important factor in pearl quality, as high lustre gives the surface a brighter, sharper, and more radiant appearance.
Shape
Shape does not determine overall pearl quality, but it does influence desirability and value. Round pearls are generally the most valuable due to their rarity, while oval, drop, button, and baroque shapes are also prized for their individual character.
Complexion
Complexion refers to the surface quality of a pearl. Pearls with fewer visible blemishes, spots, or imperfections are rarer and typically more valuable, while a flawless surface is exceptionally uncommon in nature.
Size
South Sea pearls typically range from 8mm to 20mm or larger. In general, the larger the pearl, the rarer and more valuable it is, particularly when combined with strong lustre, good shape, and clean surface quality.
Colour
Allure exclusively sources naturally coloured pearls. White, silver, and soft pink overtones are among the most recognised colour hallmarks of the Australian South Sea pearl, valued for their elegant and natural beauty.
Pearl Shapes
Round / Near-Round, Drop, Oval, Button, Keshi
Baroque, Circle
Each shape valued for uniqueness; round most prized.
Why Allure Pearls Stand Apart
At Allure, quality is never judged by a broad label alone. Every pearl is selected on its own merit, with careful attention given to lustre, surface quality, shape, colour, and overall beauty. This individual approach allows us to create pearl jewellery that reflects the natural rarity and value of each piece, rather than relying on generic grading terms.
We source directly from trusted pearl farms in Australia, Tahiti, and the Philippines, giving us greater control over quality and consistency across our collections. Allure works exclusively with naturally coloured pearls, never dyed, so the beauty you see comes from the pearl itself. Each pearl is manually selected by experienced pearl professionals, and only high-lustre pearls are accepted into our collections.
This same attention to detail carries through every design. Pearls are carefully matched for earrings, strands, and complete sets to achieve balance, harmony, and a more refined finish. To complement the quality of the pearls themselves, Allure settings are crafted in 18ct gold, creating fine pearl jewellery designed to feel timeless, luxurious, and lasting.
Pearl Grading, “AAA” & Certification
Pearl grading is one of the most common questions clients ask, especially when comparing pearl jewellery online. Unlike diamonds, which are assessed through widely recognised systems such as GIA, pearls do not have a single universal grading authority. Terms like “AAA”, “AA+”, and “Gem Grade” are commonly used across the industry, but they are not fixed global standards and can vary significantly from one seller to another.
That means a pearl described as “AAA” by one supplier may not be equivalent to a pearl given the same label elsewhere. For this reason, these grading terms should be treated as general marketing language rather than absolute certification.
At Allure, we focus on what matters most: the actual quality of the pearl in front of us. Rather than relying on inflated or inconsistent grading claims, we assess each pearl individually for lustre, complexion, shape, size, colour, and matching. This gives our clients a more honest and transparent way to understand pearl quality and choose pieces with real beauty, value, and integrity.