The overtones of Akoya pearls
The second color, floating over the first. Once you can see it, you cannot unsee it.
Akoya pearls are described as white, which is true and not very useful. What separates one white Akoya strand from another at twice the price is usually the overtone — a secondary color that sits just over the surface and shifts as the light moves.
What an overtone is
A pearl's color has two parts.
Body color is the dominant, underlying color — for Akoya, white or cream. It is inherent to the pearl and it does not change with the angle you hold it at.
Overtone is a translucent secondary color that floats over the body color. It is produced by light interfering with the microscopic layers of nacre — the same optical effect that puts color in a soap bubble. It is partly the work of the cultivation environment and partly the work of selection.
A third quality, orient, sometimes appears on very fine pearls: an iridescent shimmer of several colors at once, distinct from a single overtone. It is rare on Akoya and more common on thick-nacre pearls.
The overtones to know
| Overtone | Looks like | Suits | Market position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rose | A warm pink cast over white | Fair and pink-toned skin | The most sought after; usually the most expensive |
| Silver | A cool, bright, slightly steely white | Cool and olive-toned skin | Highly prized; reads very modern |
| Cream | A warm, softer ivory | Warm and golden skin | Often better value for the same luster |
| Green | A faint cool green over white | Less common; distinctive | Least conventional, and priced accordingly |
Rose and silver command the strongest prices. That is a preference of the market rather than a statement about quality — a cream Akoya with superb luster is a better pearl than a rose one with poor luster, and it will usually cost less.
Why overtone matters for value
Overtone is one part of color, which is one of the seven pearl value factors GIA uses — alongside size, shape, luster, surface, nacre quality, and matching. It is not the most important of them. Luster is, by a distance.
But overtone does two things that move price. It affects how the pearl reads against skin, which is the only context that matters in wear. And it has to be matched across a strand: thirty pearls that share a body color but disagree on overtone will look subtly wrong, and the eye catches it even when the viewer cannot say why.
Matching overtone is hand work, and it is a real share of what a fine strand costs. More on how the factors fit together in what AAA pearl grading actually means.
Choosing one for yourself
The practical test takes ten seconds: hold the strand against the inside of your wrist in daylight.
- If your skin is cool or pink-toned, rose and silver tend to look right.
- If your skin is warm or golden, cream is usually more flattering than a bright silver, which can read cold against it.
- If you are buying to wear with existing jewelry, match the overtone to the metal — cream with yellow gold, silver with white gold or platinum.
And if you are buying a gift and cannot test it: choose rose or a neutral white. Both suit the widest range of people.
How we source
Akoya comes from Japan, and the sharpest luster in the world comes from the final months of cultivation being spent in cold winter water — cold slows the oyster, and nacre laid down slowly is deposited in finer, tighter layers. Those tight layers are what produce Akoya's hard, mirror-like reflection, and they are also what makes overtone visible at all.
We buy direct from the farms and select by hand: luster first, then surface, then overtone, then matching. Buying at the farm means seeing a harvest before it is sorted for export — which is the only way to assemble a strand that agrees with itself.
Care
Overtone lives in the top layers of nacre, which is exactly what perfume, hairspray, and cosmetics attack. A strand that loses its overtone has usually lost surface nacre, and that does not come back.
- Pearls go on last and come off first.
- Wipe with a soft cloth after every wearing.
- Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, steam, or commercial jewelry cleaner.
- Store flat and separately — diamonds will scratch nacre.
Full routine: how to care for pearls. Restringing and inspection are complimentary with our annual service.
Frequently asked questions
What is an overtone on a pearl?
An overtone is a translucent secondary color that floats over a pearl's body color and shifts as the light moves. It is created by light interacting with the microscopic layers of nacre. On white Akoya pearls, the common overtones are rose, silver, cream, and green.
Which Akoya overtone is the most valuable?
Rose and silver overtones generally command the strongest prices. That reflects market preference rather than quality: a cream Akoya with excellent luster is a better pearl than a rose one with poor luster, and it usually costs less.
Which overtone suits my skin tone?
Cool or pink-toned skin tends to suit rose and silver overtones. Warm or golden skin is usually flattered more by cream. Hold the pearls against the inside of your wrist in daylight to see which looks right.
How can I see a pearl's overtone?
Look at the pearl in indirect daylight against a neutral gray or off-white background, never pure white, and turn it slowly. The body color stays put while the overtone moves across the surface.
Compare all four pearl types in which pearl is right for me. Browse pearl earrings and the pearl collection.
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ISAAC WESTMAN® · New York · Founded 1982