While pearls may not be as special as snowflakes they're still amazing in how rare it is to find a pearl in the wild. In the nature, one in ten thousand oysters has a naturally forming pearl. Because of this rarity and a call by conservationists to conserve the wild oyster beds most pearls found in the jewelry marketplace are cultured. Van Scoy Diamonds offers you a wide variety pearls and would like to take a moment to explain to you the different types; Freshwater, Akoyo, South Sea and Tahitian. During the crystallization process a water molecule's internal order is reflected as it freezes in the frigid air creating a distinctly novel, but symmetrical pattern each time. Here are some beautiful examples of snowflakes captured by Alexey Kljatov using macro-photography. Like the snowflake the freshwater pearls are coveted for their luster and are individual unique as they are not all uniformly round. Here is an example of Honora's Tutti-Frutti, freshwater cultured pearls. They are grown within mollusks that are naturally occurring in bays, lakes and rivers, hence the term 'freshwater.' These mollusks are able to produce up to 50 pearls in its lifetime. This rate of natural production is what translates into freshwater pearls being most affordable. However, you still have to remain focused on quality, and the different aspects will be explained below. Akoya pearls are specifically grown in Japanese pearl farms and are highly valued due to larger size, smoothness and even more luster than the beautiful freshwater pearl cousin which are harvested in the US, China and Japan. South Sea pearls are also known as cultured pearls and come from Indonesia, Myanmar and Australia where they are farmed through harvesting pearl mussels and oysters. They have fabulous luster. Tahitian pearls are where the true 'black pearl' comes from, but they're so much more than that. The colors can range from black to gunmetal gray to silver-white. This pearl was created by Jean-Marie Dormand in 1961 through harvesting of the black-lip oysters from the waters around French Polynesia. These oysters are very small and sensitive to the pearl collection process which is what drives the price along with the truly unique colors that can be found with Tahitian pearls. Van Scoy Diamonds carries pearl jewelry by Honora with pride and this Tahitian pearl pendant is 9.5-10 mm in size with the second strand holding a diamond, set in white gold. is no exception to the type of quality and beauty you'll find with Van Scoy Diamonds. Now, how do you judge a pearl's quality? There are five factors to consider: Color- the main body of color as well as any overtone that can be seen. Luster- when light is refracted off the surface of the pearl that is luster and it occurs due to the layers of nacre on the pearl. The larger the pearl the more layers have been allowed to build up and the greater the luster should be when comparing two different sized pearls side by side. Shape- perfectly round is an indication of high quality, but also rarity. Freshwater pearls are the exception as they will be more oval shaped. Surface Quality- is the surface of the pearl smooth or is it marred by spots or bubbles in the nacre? Size- pearl sized depend on the type. Freshwater pearls range from 3.0-7.0 mm, Akoyo from 6.0-8.5 mm, South Sea and Tahitian can be as large as 13 mm. Browse through our line of Honora products for more beautify examples of pearl jewelry. The uniqueness of pearl jewelry makes it a classic, must-have for nearly every woman.