Shape

A pearl lot generally consists of:
1/- 5% Round Pearls,
2/- 25% Near Round Pearls,
3/- 5% Drop, Pear or Tear-drop Pearls,
4/- 30% Semi Baroque Pearls,
5/- 5% Baroque Pearls,
6/- 30% Ringed or circled Pearls.

The composition of a lot depends on several criteria: the technique used by the "surgeon – grafter", the conditioning of the host oyster, general upkeep and grafting ‘post-operation’ follow-up.

ROUND Pearls:
The most highly sought-after and expensive of all pearls, round pearls make up just 1 to 5% of a normal harvest. Diameter variation rate should not exceed 2%. The very scarcity of round pearls ensures their status as a top-class product. To test their roundness, they are rolled on a flat surface to see if they travel in a perfectly straight line.

NEAR ROUND Pearls:
Their diameter variation rate will be between 2 and 5%. Near rounds represent about 25% of the harvest. This pearl type is the most sought-after by pearl traders. It is mostly used in necklaces, ring settings, earrings, and occasionally as a pendant.

DROP, or teardrop or pear Pearls:
As the name suggests, these pearls are drop-shaped. They are just as rare as Round Pearls. No circular forms are to be found on this pearl, whether in the form of grooves or streaks of color - this kind of pearl is also seen as a top-class product.
Generally it is used in pendants, or where you have an identically shaped and colored pair, as earrings.

SEMI BAROQUE Pearls:
Semi Baroque pearls include pearls in the shape of buttons, oval pearls (pearls not placed in the Near Round category) and pear-shaped pearls with grooves or colored rings distributed over a third of the surface. This latter is the object of continuing debate between pearl farmers and traders as to its classification.
This kind of pearl is used for general jewelry use (necklaces, rings, pendants, earrings) or to produce imaginative and artistic designer items.

BAROQUE Pearls:
Irregular in shape, Baroque Pearls have no axis of rotation (are non-symmetrical), unlike Drop or Semi Baroque pearls. Baroque pearls are often used in necklaces. Large Baroque pearls are becoming increasingly popular amongst female buyers.

CIRCLED OR RINGED Pearls:
These pearls are characterized by the presence of multiple surface grooves or rings of color over two thirds of the pearl’s surface area. Circled Pearls are generally the pearls which possess the largest number of shades on a single pearl and as a result are particularly eye-catching. Given their relative abundance, they are the least expensive type of pearl. This pearl is usually destined for more affordable necklaces and bracelets.

The process of pearl formation in the oyster’s gonad:
"To produce round pearls and nothing but round pearls is every pearl farmer’s dream, but nature is not so easily controlled as that, except perhaps in a controlled environment."

Our Theory of pearl formation:
"Once introduced into the oyster gonad, the nucleus finds itself steeped in liquid, the oyster’s blood, if you like. Inside the oyster’s sac, there are a multitude of blood vessels linked to the extremities by pores, "exit holes". The job of these holes is to project the calcium carbonate that will eventually cover the foreign body.
BR> As the oyster feeds, the nucleus becomes gradually anchored in place by calcium carbonate. The phenomenon can be compared to a bead which is being sprayed by a number of different spray-guns fed by various pipes. As a result of this constant spray, the nucleus rotates on its axis. This spraying action provokes a certain physical stress in the host oyster, resulting in the physical retraction of the gonad and the whole body of the oyster. At this point some of the "pipes" feeding the pores or "exit holes" are unable to spray the nucleus as before and may even block entirely. Therefore, the pearl will form over time, its shape dependent on the exact functioning of these "exit holes".
This is simply a personal theory which is unrelated to any other person or idea.
As yet, no written theory exists explaining the whys and wherefores of the formation of cultured pearls. The theory above remains a theory and is a demonstration of our personal understanding of this phenomenon, following several years of experience in the pearl-farming business.