Describing Pearl Color

The GIA Pearl Description System divides pearl bodycolors into three groups:

Neutrals—White, gray, and black

Near-neutrals—Silver, cream, and brown

Hues—All other (fancy) colors 

The GIA system recognizes 19 pearl hues, which are divided into warm hues and cool hues. As you can see from the hue circle, the warm hues are purplish red through yellowish green and the cool hues are green through reddish purple. As the hues progress from one to the other, each one gains a little more of the next hue and loses some of the preceding hue. Of course, there are more than 19 hues in the world, but the hue circle is limited to possible pearl bodycolor hues.

In describing pearl color, it’s important to use descriptions that are detailed enough to describe the color, are understandable to a broad audience, and are repeatable from observer to observer. While the human eye can distinguish a very large number of colors, it’s not practical or necessary to describe them all.

Pearl color might be described as “dark green-gray with blue overtone,” “strong orangy yellow,” “bluish green,” or “silver with orient.” These detailed descriptions leave little room for misunderstandings of the actual colors being described. 

Robert Weldon/GIA , gift of Tiffany & Co.
This cultured pearl combines yellowish orange bodycolor with pinkish orange overtone.