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There are many different colours and types of pearls on the market today that even pearl connoisseurs get a little confused! Those that want to buy pearl earrings just don’t know where to start. With this in mind, here is a useful guide to help you along the way and give you some background into the world of pearls.

Tell Me About Tahitian Pearls – Are They All Black?

You would think that these pearls come from Tahiti but actually they don’t, and they’re also not exclusively black in colour. Tahitian pearls are also bought in colours other than black, such as blue, green and grey. And they’re grown in the lagoons of small islands that are part of a group known as French Polynesia.

Cultured Vs Natural Pearl Earrings

If there is an oyster or mollusc on the seabed and something makes its way inside, like a parasite, then this is how natural pearls are formed. To protect itself, the animal coats the irritant in nacre – a combination of organic substances that also makes up what we call mother of pearl. It takes time for the nacre layers to build up, but when the newly-formed pearl is retrieved, it proves that it is worth the wait.

Cultured pearls are formed in the same way as natural pearls, with one big difference: they get their start not by chance, but deliberately, when man intervenes with nature. Man’s input is such that he will place something inside the oyster which speeds up the pearl-making process. At the end of it all, you have some beautiful cultured pearls that end up in the shops for you to buy pearl earrings or pearl necklaces etc.

Are Saltwater Pearls Better Than Freshwater Pearls?

Many people would say that the quality of cultured freshwater pearls are better value than the saltwater versions. Not so long ago, cultured pearls didn’t have the same quality and lustre that they have today, but thanks to improved culturing techniques, these pearls are now stunning items to buy and treasure.

With so many colours to choose from, freshwater cultured pearls are now the best option for people who like to express themselves through colourful jewellery. Universally flattering lavender pearls are very popular right now. For others, it is the appeal of white pearls which makes them purchase. Stunning black pearls, which are treated with dye, are rising up the style stakes too, and many people like the fact they are a little out of the ordinary.

Overall, freshwater pearls are more plentiful than other pearl types, thus they are generally more affordable. So, for all the pearl fans out there, there has never been a better time to buy pearl earrings.

We like to decorate our ears and it is understandable why we buy pearl earrings to accentuate our finer features. It doesn’t matter what face shape you have, women seem to instinctively know that pearl earrings will suit them.   Pearl earrings simply never date and that is why people are still very keen to enhance their jewellery collection with some great items. This passion for earrings isn’t necessarily a new one, and you might be surprised to learn just how long earrings have been a desirable item. Women have, for many years, been obsessed by jewellery and the feminine art form, which has led them to experimenting with body jewellery, in particular earrings.

In the ever-changing modern society of today, it is the ladies ears which remain one of the most preferred body areas with which to accessorise with jewellery. With the jewellery that women wear, moods and expressions can be portrayed through the use of earrings. We buy pearl earrings simply because they are the perfect way to make us look young, sophisticated and give us a glowing complexion.

Earrings have been around forever, or so it seems. The oldest known earrings are the Lunate earrings. The Lunate earrings were found in the region of Ur in Mesopotamia, which is more commonly known now as Iraq. These earrings are very ancient, and are estimated to be 4500 years old. In fact, the earliest earring designs were made of precious metals which were usually gold and even sometimes bone.

Different earring styles have had a varying popularity over the years and this has often been affected by hairstyles. You only need to consider the Middle Ages when earrings lost popularity slightly. Back then, it was immoral for any married woman to show her hair and ears in public.   Then in the mid-1500’s women began wearing their hair up, exposing their ears. Earrings resurged and continued to gain popularity for years later, where pearls became a middle-class desirable option.

In today’s modern generation, there are millions of different earrings styles that many different women choose to wear in order to express themselves. You can pick up pretty much any style of earring your heart desires, although silver and gold remain the most popular. Earrings are all about expression and many see jewellery as an art form. Of course, there are so many different types of earrings, but the most popular female choice is always pearl earrings.

Maybe it is their romantic aura, or their subtle beauty, but you have decided to buy a beautiful piece of pearl jewelry to add 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 be nearly flawless and have a very high luster. If a pearl has an AA grade it should have a high luster, but might have slight defects. An A-grade is the lowest grading for a pearl. This type of pearl will most likely have a lot of flaws and be lacking 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 C-graded pearl will probably have over 50% defects on the surface, and will possess only a medium luster. 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. Make sure you ask for the pearl grading in writing - any reputable dealer should readily provide this. This way, you have the pearl quality in words as opposed to simply the grade they felt was appropriate. Another thing to look for when grading apearl is its nacre, or its 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.

It's important to examine the pearl's surface carefully before you purchase. 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 a more milky or chalky appearance. 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 consider is the pearl's color. This is an area where personal taste should overtake how valuable the pearl is. There are colors of pearls that are rarer than others in nature but this should not be the determining factor. When purchasing pearls, color should be based on personal taste and what looks best on your skin tone. With that being said, pearls range in color from white to black 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 freshwater pearls tend to be a bit larger than the Akoya pearls. The average pearl sold today is about 7mm. There are also "seed pearls" which are tiny (less than 1mm, at times) that you can find at 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.

Pearls have had a long history as precious gemstones – as gifts for ancient royals or prized possessions sought-after by anxious criminals – from China, to Europe, to the Americas. Learning how to choose the right pearl earring for the right occasion is a skill you can benefit from if you want accessories that flatter your best features.

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.

Pearls are grown in a variety of shapes. You have the round or spherical, the oval, button and pear-shaped pearls as well as the baroque (also known as irregular-shaped). If you’re learning how to choose the right kind of pearl earrings for the right occasion, shape isn’t just a consideration. You’ll also want to look out for the luster or reflectivity of a pearl as well as the smoothness of its surface.

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.

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. You don’t want to be fooled when buying pearls, so here are some methods you can use to tell the difference between a genuine pearl and a fake:

The Tooth Test
Many people say that by rubbing a pearl against your teeth you can tell whether it’s real or fake by the feel of its surface. Genuine pearls usually have a rougher, more irregular texture in contrast to imitation pearls which are usually very smooth or even glassy. In reality this test is far from foolproof, as fakes are often made to appear completely genuine and some real pearls can sometimes be smooth, particularly if the surface has been 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, that you see on the 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. The surface of a real pearl is crossed with hundreds of tiny almost invisible crooked lines, giving them an almost scaly look under magnification. It also helps to look closely at the drill holes in the pearl, which are normally as small as possible in a real pearl as larger holes devalue the gem. Real pearls usually have holes drilled from either end, so the hole is much smaller in the middle 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, and if not they are probably fake.

X-Ray
The best way to be absolutely positive of a pearl’s authenticiety is to have it verified and certified by a qualified gemologist. For a fee they will be able to x-ray the pearls, showing any variations in density and discovering how the pearl was first formed and what the nucleus was. You need to be pretty certain that the pearl is real before paying the price for a validation, but some fakes can be very convincing and it’s the only way to really be 100% sure without damaging the pearl.

An oyster of record breaking size in the UK has been discovered in a market in Plymouth. The giant shellfish, which has been dubbed ‘Shelly’, measures 7” across and weighs 3lb. It’s currently residing in the local aquarium, where it is on public display and proving to be quite the tourist attraction.

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 the edible oyster, the only species that live in the English Channel. Edible oysters do produce ‘pearls’ but they are of no value, those pearls that are used to make jewellery come from different species of oyster.

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 inside the shell of an oyster when a grain of sand or other irritant finds its way in and the oyster protects itself by building up layers of a secretion known as nacre to cushion it with a smooth surface. Natural pearls are a lot more highly valued than the cultured variety as they are much rarer and hard to find.

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 a sign 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. The most recent celebrity flashing her pearls on the fashion pages is America’s first lady Michelle Obama, who is becoming a star in her own right for her individual style and ‘imaginative’ choice of accessories combining pearls, brooches and waisted belts.