Quality Gold & Silver Pearl Rings & Jewelry
Fine & Elegant Tahitian Pearl Rings, Pendants, Necklaces & Jewelry
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Whether it’s their romantic aura, their subtle beauty or simplistic style, you have decided it’s time to add a beautiful piece of pearl jewelry to your collection. Before running out to your favorite jeweler and snatching up the first thing you see, get informed about the investment you are about to make. Just like any other gemstone, there are quite a few things to know about pearls that can help you not only get the best deal, but the right pearl for you.
First, let me start by saying that there is no official grading system industry wide for pearls. There are however, 2 different systems that reputable pearl dealers hold themselves to. The first system is the AAA-A system which allows jewelers to grade their pearls. In this system, a grade of AAA means the pearl is of the highest quality. The pearl should have a very high luster and be practically (if not totally) flawless. If a pearl has an AA grade it should have a high luster, but might have slight defects. The grade of A is the lowest quality pearl. This type of pearl will likely have many flaws and lack luster.
The second widely accepted system is the A-D system, also known as the Tahitian system. This is the system often used to grade Tahitian or South Sea pearls in overseas markets. In this system, a grade of A means the pearl is of the highest quality with high luster and is virtually flawless. The grading goes down from there, with a B pearl having a high to medium luster and a few defects. A pearl with a grade of C will most likely have a medium luster with defects possibly over 50% off the surface. Any pearl given a grade below D is not considered usable for jewelry.
Because these two grading systems are not industry-wide, it is important that you feel as though you can trust your jeweler. Ask them for the pearl grading in writing, any reputable dealer should provide this. This way, you have the pearl quality in words as opposed to simply the grade they felt was appropriate. The other thing to look for when grading a pearl is its nacre, or surface thickness. The thicker the nacre, the more durable the pearl will be over time. A good, thick nacre begins at about 0.5mm so keep this in mind and use it as a guide when choosing pearls.
When purchasing pearls, it is important to examine the surface carefully. A high-quality pearl will have a shiny, bright apperaance. A high-quality pearl should be lusturous enough for you to see your reflection in it. Lower quality pearls have milky or chalky characteristics. Also, check the surface of the pearl to make sure it is smooth and free of discoloration or other defects. The perfect pearl should be round, smooth and shiny.
The next thing to look for in a pearl is color. This is an area where personal taste should overtake how valuable the pearl is. Certain colors are rarer than others that occur in nature, but this should not be a determining factor. You should consider your personal taste and what compliments your skin tone when purchasing your pearls. That being said, pearls can range in color from black to white with every color in between. So, it should be easy to find a high-quality pearl in just the right color to suit your taste.
Another thing to be aware of when shopping for pearls is size and how that affects cost. Of course, the larger the pearl the more expensive it will be, depending on the other factors as well. Pearls are measured in millimeters and will depend on the type of pearl. Akoya pearls are often the smallest and can range from approximately 6mm to 8mm. Tahitian, South Sea, and fresh water pearls run larger than Akoya pearls. The average pearl size sold on the market today is around 7mm. There are also pearls called “seed pearls” which are tiny, often less than 1mm that can be found in jewelry stores around the world.
So, before heading out to the stores do some research and be informed about the type of pearl you want to bring home with you. As a knowledgeable consumer, you will be able to get more for your money. Ultimately you will feel better about your purchase, you will have made a better investment, and you'll have chosen a piece of jewelry that you will treasure for years to come.
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For years, pearls have been prized for their beauty; pearls have been ornaments to royalty and criminals alike. Regarded with great value in China, Greece, Europe and the Americas, these jewels have always been a popular choice as highly valued gems. With their variety of designs, we’ll show you how to choose the right kind of pearl earrings for the right occasion.
While naturally formed pearls come in all forms of irregular shapes and often cannot be used for jewelry, cultured pearls can be grown in a variety of shapes - spherical, oval, teardrop and baroque. Learning how to choose the right pearl earrings for the right occasion will involve finding a design or combining various shapes of pearls that suit your face shape.
Before you go about learning how to choose the right pearl earrings for the right occasion, it is imperative that you learn how to spot quality pearl drop earrings. Judging a pearl requires consideration of a few factors - color, overtones, size, luster, shape and surface quality.
When choosing the right pearl earrings for the right occasion, it is also important to determine your budget as pearls that have greater luster or have more reflective surfaces are more highly prized. The smoothness of a pearl’s surface is also a qualifying factor in judging its quality. From cream, champagne, pink, gold, blue and even black, choosing the right pearl earrings will depend on the occasion you intend to wear them to.
Pearls are delicate gems and are generally softer in composition than other jewels. Because of this, they are prone to damage like cracking and scratches. Its porous nature also makes it susceptible to other substances like perfume, sweat and makeup. Keep your pearls clean by wiping them with a soft, damp cloth and try putting on these accessories after you’ve worn your makeup and applied your perfume.
Accessories like pearl earrings are designed to draw attention to your face. Carefully choosing the right pearl earrings for the right occasion is important if you want to flatter your face and enhance your features.
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Pearls come in many shapes and sizes whether they are real or not, and it’s not always easy to tell the difference between the genuine article or a fake. Even amongst genuine pearls there are many different classes of both natural and cultured varieties, all with their own different properties and all valued very differently as pearl jewellery. Before buying any pearls it’s important that you know what you’re getting, so here are some methods you can use to tell the difference between real pearls, whether they are natural or cultured, and fakes
The Tooth Test
Many people say that by rubbing a pearl against your teeth the texture of the surface will tell you whether or not it is genuine. Genuine pearls usually have a rougher, more irregular texture whereas fakes are glassy and perfectly smooth. In reality this test is far from foolproof, as many fake pearls are created to feel as real as possible and cultured pearls in particular can often be very smooth, especially if they are dyed.
The Sun Test
A slightly more reliable method is to take the pearls out in the sun and take a close look at the appearance of the lustre, or shine, on their surface. Apart from extremely unusual and rare specimens, real pearls hardly ever appear perfectly matched in full daylight and have clear differences in shine, iridescence and colour.
Surface Magnification
Don’t underestimate the power of a magnifying glass – a closeup look at the pearl earrings, necklace or brooch can tell you a lot, and is one of the most effective ways of distinguishing between genuine and fake pearls. Genuine pearls are covered in tiny, almost indistinguishable lines, giving them an almost scaly look when placed under the microscope. Whilst there you could also take a look at the small drill holes at either end of the pearl, which are normally as small as possible in a real pearl as larger holes devalue the gem. The holes are usually drilled from both ends and meet in the middle, making the passage narrower at the centre of the pearl.
Shape
One of the most obvious ways to identify real pearl sets is to look closely at the shape of each pearl and whether or not they are close to being identical – real pearls are hardly ever perfectly round, and it is almost unheard of to find a whole string of pearls of exactly the same size, shape and weight. Real pearls that are regular in this way are extremely expensive, or they are more than likely imitations.
X-Ray
The only truly reliable way to be sure a pearl is authentic is to have it verified and certified by a qualified gemologist. You can have the pearl x-rayed for a price, allowing you to see inside to any imperfections or variations in density and identifying the nucleus to determine how the pearl was originally formed. You need to be pretty certain that the pearl is real before paying the price for a validation, but many imitation pearls look very real and it’s the only way to really be 100% sure without damaging the pearl.
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An oyster of record breaking size in the UK has turned up in a fish marked in Plymouth. Narrowly escaping becoming someone’s luxury dinner the giant shellfish, which has been dubbed ‘Shelly’, measures 7” across and weighs 3lb. The oyster has been given a new home in the local aquarium, where it is on public display and proving to be quite the celebrity.
Unfortunately for fashionistas who are loving the current revival of pearl jewellery though, there’s no chance of a giant hidden gem inside the shell, because Shelly is the wrong type of oyster. It’s an especially large example of a species called the edible oyster, which live in the English Channel. Edible oysters do produce ‘pearls’ but they are of no value, unlike the beautiful varieties that come from other oysters and are used to make jewellery.
The valuable pearls used to make pearl earrings, necklaces, bracelets and other jewellery are found in Pteriidae or feathered oysters, which nowadays are farmed on large pearl farms across the world, mainly in China. Pearls are formed when an irritant gets into the oyster’s shell and it protects itself by coating it with layers of a substance called nacre to make it smooth. Natural pearls are far more valued than cultured pearls as they are difficult to find and fully formed round natural pearls are rare.
People have been wearing pearls throughout history, it’s tradition for brides to wear pearls and they have constantly featured in the wardrobes of the rich and glamorous for generations. They are well known as a demonstration of purity and love, and large pearls are a way of publicly displaying wealth and class. The introduction of cultured pearls to the jewellery market has made them more widely available in recent years, and the popular vintage fashion revival along with a number of high profile celebrities publicly displaying their love for pearl sets and other classic jewellery means pearls are as desirable as ever. Michelle Obama is the latest in a long line of celebrities showing off their pearls in the fashion pages, she is becoming a star in her own right for her individual style and ‘imaginative’ choice of accessories combining pearls, brooches and waisted belts.
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