Pure Pearls Glossary
Basra Pearl
Natural pearls historically fished from the Persian Gulf. The name is now used far more often than the pearls exist.
Basra pearls came from wild oyster beds in the Gulf, and the fishery collapsed in the twentieth century under the combined pressure of cultured pearls and oil.
Genuine Basra pearls survive mainly in heirloom jewellery, and identifying one requires X-ray evidence of natural growth structure.
In Indian retail the word is frequently applied to any fine round white pearl, which is a description of appearance rather than provenance.
What you will hear
“These are Basra pearls, passed down in the family.”
In fact: Heirloom provenance is not evidence of origin. Only an X-ray report distinguishes a natural pearl from a cultured one, whatever its age.
When you are buying
Treat the word Basra as a claim requiring a lab report, not as a product description. Without one, judge the pearl on lustre, nacre and matching like any other.
Read next
Natural Pearl
A pearl that formed with no human involvement at all. Vanishingly rare, and effectively absent from the retail market.
Certificate of Authenticity
A document stating what a pearl is. Useful in proportion to who issued it and what it actually tests.
Cultured Pearl
A real pearl grown in a farmed mollusc after a technician places an irritant inside it. Essentially every pearl on the market is cultured.
Not sure what you are being sold?
Paste any pearl description — another shop’s listing, a message from a jeweller, an old certificate — and we will break it down term by term.