PEARL SHAPES
ROUND
If a pearl appears almost perfectly round, it is considered a round pearl. To determine whether a pearl is round, its diameter needs to be measured at various points of its surface and these measurements should not vary by more than 2 percent.
NEAR ROUND
Near-round pearls usually appear round to the naked eye, but under close inspection reveal certain asymmetries. Some might be slightly out-of-round, elongated, or flattened.
OVAL
These pearls are shaped like an oval, narrower at the ends and wider in the center. Oval pearls are symmetrical, rounded and oblong.
BUTTON
Button pearls are flattened to some degree. They resemble a button or disk, hence the name. These are considered symmetrical shapes and are often used in earrings.
DROP
These pearls have a teardrop or pear shape as they name suggests. These pearls are also considered symmetrical and are often used as pendants or in earrings.
SEMI BAROQUE
Pearls that have a slightly irregular button, drop or oval shape and are not quite symmetrical, are considered semi-baroque.
BAROQUE
If a pearl has no apparent symmetry and is noticeably irregular, it is called a baroque pearl. Baroque pearls can have fully abstract shapes. Cultivated pearls with a baroque shape are best-resembling to pearls spontaneously formed in the wild.