Authentic pearl jewelry is very rare to find. Tahitian and South Sea Pearls both are very rare to find as they are made from oyster shells. They won’t be available in normal jewelry shops.
They are very expensive as well because of the cultured type. The authenticity of the pearls can be easily found by some small tests, and specialists can find it with the help of special magnifying glass.
Tahitian vs South Sea Pearls
The difference between Tahitian and South Sea Pearls is that Tahitian Pearls are found along the coasts of Tahiti. South Sea Pearls are found along the coast of the Indian and the Pacific Ocean. Tahitian Pearls are considered to be very precious when they are authentic. Good South Sea Pearls help in controlling the feelings of humans, and they can also boost their memory power.
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Tahitian pearls are saltwater pearls. They are black in color because of the sand that is stuck inside the body of the specific type of oyster. Maintaining Tahitian pearls is not a difficult task.
They are asked to be worn for a specific period so that they can be hydrated in direct contact with the skin. You need to simply wipe the pearls with a soft cloth to preserve their beauty and gloss.
South Sea pearls are one of the largest gemstones in the market, which makes them both rare and valuable. They have unique luster quality and have a soft reflection in them due to aragonite platelets.
These factors make them very distinct and valuable. Sometimes, you might see a fish bite at the right earring. But it will not be visible when you wear the earring with their side down.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Tahitian Pearls | South Sea Pearls |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 13 mm | 15 mm |
| Thickness range | 2 to 3 mm | 2 to 6 mm |
| Advantages | The authentic ones are exotic and precious. | They will control the feelings and boost the memory power. |
| Found in | They come from the coasts of Tahiti. | They are found in the Indian and Pacific oceans. |
| Color | They are black in color | The color ranges from creamy champagne to pink |
What are Tahitian Pearls?
It is an organic gem. It is created by black lip oysters. They have a wide color ranging from white to black. It got its name as Tahiti because they are found around French Polynesia islands.
The darker variety pearls are considered to be the most valuable ones. Tahitian Pearls are considered to be one of the most beautiful pearls in the world. The good thing about using Tahitian pearl is they have an oyster inside them.
This oyster will grow quite large, and when weighed, its weight will be as much as ten pounds. They are also called black pearls because of their darker hues.
Tahitian pearls can yield a gem-quality rating of AAA. They are considered to be one of the best pearls in the industry. It is also considered to be one of the highest qualities you can get.
They are very rare to find, so they are quite expensive. When you store Tahitian pearls, you should store them in a separate container because if some other jewelry comes in contact, they will get scratched.
Also, the pearls on the ring can get easily damaged by a strong bump. Like the color of the Tahitian pearl, their luster is also natural.
What are South Sea Pearls?
South sea pearls are cultured using a large white-lipped oyster. They are selected from the waters of the south pacific by hand. The oyster size will be twice the size of Akoya pearl oyster, so that they produce very large pearls.
They are whitish and silver in color, which makes it to be exceptionally good in quality. They are very larger than the average pearl, and their smoothness and roundness are exceptional. It will not be available in all the jewelry shops.
They are very rare to find in jewelry shops. Only a few jewelry shops will have them at the store. They are expensive because they are most likely to be cultivated.
This is the reason behind the limited number of south sea pearl farms. A pearl can be identified if it’s a south sea pearl or not by a common tooth test. All you need to do is simply rub the pearl on your tooth. If the pearl is cultured, you will feel it as gritty.
If the pearl is faux, then you will feel the surface to be smooth. Specialists can easily tell whether they are fake or real by observing them under a magnifier.
The color of the south sea pearls will be determined from the region where they are cultivated. The best color of south sea pearl is white. They are always perfectly round in color.
Sometimes they will be gold in color because of the golden nacre on the interior of the shell.
Main Differences Between Tahitian and South Sea Pearls
- The size of the Tahitian Pearl is 13 mm. On the other hand, the size of the South Sea Pearls is 15 mm.
- The thickness of the Tahitian Pearl ranges from 2 to 3 mm. On the other hand, the thickness of the South Sea Pearls ranges from 2 to 6 mm.
- Authentic Tahitian Pearls are considered to be very exotic and precious. On the other hand, South Sea Pearls will help in controlling the feelings and also boost the memory power.
- Tahitian Pearls come from the coasts of Tahiti. On the other hand, South Sea Pearls come from India and the Pacific oceans.
- The color of the Tahitian Pearl is black. On the other hand, the color of South Sea Pearl ranges from creamy champagne to pink.
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=SzkhMsW7Q14C&oi=fnd&pg=PA357&dq=Difference+Between+Tahitian+and+South+Sea+Pearls&ots=5835XKPrzc&sig=EAdrQNtdAqnFfd_ISrh4Uxt2Vrs
- https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/55102/
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
