There are several varieties of cultured pearls:

AKOYA is the classic cultured pearl of Japan and now China. It is grown in the smallest oyster used for culturing.

TAHITIAN pearls are cultured in the black lipped oyster which can be 12" across and weigh 10 lbs. The pearls produced are large and are unique because of their dark color. They are called black but are actually silver, grey with most being dark green. They are called Tahitian but are not traditionally from Tahiti but from other French Polynesian Islands.

SOUTH SEA pearls are among the largest cultured pearls, some as large as 20 mm. Northen Australia to southern China are culturing ground for them and two mollusks are used the silver lipped and the gold lipped oysters. Their colors are white, silver and golden, colors not usually seen in other pearls varieties.

FRESHWATER pearls are grown in non-saline waters and come in a variety of shaes and colors. Most are not bead-nucleated but with mantle tissue from another mollusk. The result is generally a pearl of irregular shape and all nacre which makes in more durable than the other cultured pearls. China is the largest producer but mantle tissue from mollusks grown in a river in Tennessee provide much of the nucleating material.