You might often see this word referring to a Pearl’s shape.
The word originates from Portuguese and is usually used to describe Pearls with an irregular shape. However, Pearls don’t have exclusive rights on the word: it is also used in music to describe pieces that are elaborate.
Most Freshwater Pearls are baroque and perfectly rounded ones are extremely rare.
However, Freshwater Cultured Pearls tend to be more spherical, as the foreign body injected into the shell (which is used as the catalyst for the Pearl growing process) is normally a perfectly rounded tiny sphere.
Whilst it is true that baroque Pearls are generally less expensive than round Pearls, they often have a wonderful play of colour. This is not caused by multiple layers within the nacre causing light to be refracted at different angles as it is with round Pearls, but due to light being bounced off the irregular shaped surface in a myriad of different directions, all colliding together to form a cocktail of shimmering hues.
When a baroque shape is more baguette-like, it is often renamed Biwa Pearl. Rarely set into rings, baroque Pearls are normally used in modern, free-flowing bracelets and necklaces.
