Types of Baroque Pearls

What are Baroque Pearls?

All pearls with an irregular shape are considered baroque while all round pearls are considered traditional. Baroque pearls come in a variety of fascinating shapes and sizes and every single one is unique.  Jewelry crafted with these pearls are ideal for women who like to express their own individuality.

While there is a vast variety of misshapen baroque pearls, there are a few common ones that we use in ADORNED by Ruth designs.

COIN Pearls

These can vary from round and flat to oval and even elongated with “tails”.  Their large surface area is often smooth which gives coin pearls added luster. We use these for Lana Coin Pearl Drop Earrings.

BAROQUE Pearls

While baroque is the common term used to describe pearls that are not round, it is also one of the subtypes. It includes pearls shaped like elongated spheres. They are asymmetrical and their surface is dented and uneven. We use more than 78 of these pearls to create our Lisbeth Pearl Choker Necklace.

STICK/BIWA Pearls

Biwa pearls were first cultured in Lake Biwa, Japan.  Unlike other cultured pearls Biwa pearls were formed using mussels and tissue irritants instead of oysters and bead nuclei. Because the tissue was irregular in shape, the resulting pearl was also wildly shaped. Nowadays, Biwas have come to mean any long, stick-like pearls.

CIRCLED Pearls

These pearls feature one or more circles indenting their surface.  They were first promoted by Tiffany’s in the 1970s as “Circles of Love”.  They are known for their high luster.

EDISON Pearls

Edison pearls are named for THE Thomas Edison.  When you see their incredible iridescent luster, you’ll understand why.  They were introduced to the jewelry market in 2012 but took a while to catch on. Big, beautiful, and mostly round, these stunners were expensive and difficult to find. Edison pearls form when a mother of pearl bead, usually 5mm-8mm, is inserted into the gonad of a mollusk.  A very thick layer of nacre grows around the bead forming into a very BIG pearl, ranging from 11-14mm and even sometimes reaching up to 17mm! Edisons range in natural colors from white to pink, lavender, and champagne. The delicious hues are enhanced by their amazing metallic sheen. Edisons take three years to harvest but as with all good things, are well worth the wait!

We LOVE All the Baroques!

We can’t help ourselves; we just have a serious thing for these lumpy, bumpy shiny reminders that unique is absolutely breath-taking!