Prized for their brilliant, light-catching luster, perfect shape and rich color, Akoya pearls are considered the classic pearl and are a symbol of purity, virtue and symbol of elegance and beauty. Produced by Japan's Akoya oysters, they are generally white or cream colored with overtones of rose, silver or cream. If you are looking for a remarkable gift, choose Akoya pearls.

Best known for their wide range of shapes, sizes and colors, freshwater pearls are the product of a single resilient mussel that can be harvested many times. They can be created through natural means in a spectrum of colors. Freshwater pearls can also be treated or irradiated to achieve a particular or unusual color.

Impressively large, luxurious South Sea pearls have a unique satiny luster. They can be found in an array of natural colors, but are most often known for champagne and cream colors -- but the most valuable is gold. Because of varieties in color, shape and size, it can take years to assemble a harmoniously matched strand.

Rare, exotic and luxurious, Tahitian pearls are the only pearls that are naturally black, but their color can range from a metallic silver to the color of graphite. Produced by black-lipped oysters native to Tahiti and the French Polynesian islands, these pearls are bead nucleated and many of them are round, or near round, with other shapes expressed in drops, baroques, button and circled pearls. Much sought-after, Tahitian pearls make an extraordinary, unique gift.