  baroque pearls are pearls with an irregular non-spherical shape. shapes can range from minor aberrations to distinctly ovoid, curved, pinch, or lumpy shapes. most cultured freshwater pearls are baroque because freshwater pearls are mantle-tissue nucleated instead of bead nucleated. cultured saltwater pearls can also be baroque, but tend to be more teardrop-shaped due to the use of a spherical nucleation bead. the most valuable of baroque pearls are the south sea and tahitian pearls. these pearls are produced by pinctada margaritifera (black-lipped oysters) and pinctada maxima (gold-lipped and white-lipped oysters). although these are a variety of cultured saltwater pearls, the amount of time that the pearls are cultured dramatically increases the depth of the nacre, and the likelihood of producing a baroque pearl. most tahitian pearl farm harvests, for example, produce more than 40&nbsp;percent baroque and semi-baroque pearls. western australia is currently the world's largest cultivator of pinctada maxima gold-lipped oysters. tahiti is the number one cultivator of pinctada maxima black-lipped oysters. == external links == *pearl-guide *pearl shapes *cultured pearl shapes *yvel - the second coming of baroque pearls
Jewellery_components Pearls