What type of shapes do pearls come in?

Although pearls are thought of as typically round, in actual fact there a wide variety of shapes, including ovals, buttons, drops, baroques and circles.

What shapes are considered the best?

Although round pearls have traditionally been prized as the perfect shape. Irregular forms such as baroques and circles pearls offer distinct and different alternatives.

Why are pearls different shapes?

We now know that as a pearl grows, the oyster or mussel that produces it wraps a web of countless of layers of a substance called nacre. 

Since a single saltwater pearl can take over a year to grow, irregularities often occur, and as a result the layers of nacre coat un-evenly, warping the shape, causing different shapes to grow.