Baroque pearls are simply pearls that are not round and have an undefined shape. Freshwater pearls are most commonly baroque as freshwater pearls are mantle-tissue nucleated instead of bead nucleated. So the pearls are almost never round.
Akoya pearls (commonly known as cultured saltwater pearls) can also be baroque, but the baroque shape of an Akoya pearl differs from that of a freshwater pearl. This is because Akoya pearls are bead-nucleated and thus have a perfectly round bead within. So in the event a harvested Akoya pearl is a baroque, it has a small tail that comes to a sharp point behind a rounded front.
The most valuable of baroque pearls are the South Sea and Tahitian pearls. These pearls are produced by the Pinctada margaritifera, and the Pinctada maxima (Black-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% baroque and semi-baroque pearls.
External links
Pearl-Guide
Pearl Shapes
