Question re black pearls

[raj]

I have a question for the pearl experts - are all black/dark silver pearls dyed for color (excluding Tahitians and Sea of Cortez)? If not, what are the clues for one to tell especially with vintage pearls? My interest in vintage/antique jewelry is expanding to include pieces with pearls and would like to be a bit more knowledgable on the topic.

[jshepherd]

A lot of naturals could be dark (a.k.a. black). If you are going to be dealing in vintage, you'll likely be dealing in naturals, right? A lot of natural pterias are gray to black.

Dyed pearls are going to be freshwater or akoya (and the occasional Tahitian). The akoya are easy to spot because of their shape. Dyed freshwater could be a little more difficult, and there is such a wide range of shapes and dyed, dark colors, it would be good for you to spend some time examining them so you would be able to easily spot them.