Clutches for Less

Posts Tagged ‘pearl jewelry’

From emerald cut engagement rings. Pearl Jewellery is something a lot of women love and Jewellery made from pearls have always held a certain classiness to its composition. With pearl Jewellery, you will need to do a few things to keep them looking lovely and clean. Aside from certain maintenance techniques that you need to follow to keep them from losing their luster, there also certain things you need to avoid to help keep them in good condition.

General Maintenance and Care

Pearl Jewelry comes in many different types but are all made basically of the same composition, so the things you should avoid for one kind of pearl is the same kind of thing that you have to avoid for the others. Since a pearl is an organic Diamond,  there are certain substances that will take away some of its inherent shine and among the things that can destroy a pearl’s natural beauty are alcohol and acids. As much as you want to smell nice and look nice while wearing your precious pearl Jewellery, you should avoid the contact of your pearls with hairspray and perfume as these substances contain certain chemical components that can strip your pearl Jewellery of its lustrous glow. Sweat can also affect pearls and as such, when your pearls are touched by any of these substances, you should carefully wipe them off. You can use a damp cloth for this or you can wash your pearls in mild soapy water to get rid of any substances that may eventually affect the beauty of your pearl Jewelry.

Keep Pearls Away from These
Another thing you should do with pearl Jewellery is to keep it protected from high temperatures and from direct sunlight. Other substances that need to be avoided also include vinegar, detergents and fruit juices. These can also cause a certain amount of deterioration to your Jewelry so you should try and keep your pearls away from these.

Storage Is Important too

Maintenance is also a must and storage is part of maintenance. When you store your pearl Jewellery, make sure that your pearls are placed in a compartment or box all on its own to avoid being scratched by other pieces of Jewellery. As hard as pearls may be, there is still a tendency for them to get scratched and keeping them safe in their own padded compartment will keep them safe.  

Having and wearing pearl Jewelry is a source of pride for a lot of pearl owners and knowing how to keep them clean, safe from deterioration and damage are some of the  things that every pearl Jewellery owner should know.

For more see princess diamond solitaire engagement rings and Unique Cushion Cut Engagement Rings Over ,000.

Quahog pearls are amongst the rarest of gemstones but in fact, they are technically not pearls – they can still be very beautiful nevertheless, and they are typically stained a shade of purple, the only pearls that are so colored under natural conditions. Quahogs are pronounced “ko-hog”, and are clams which many of us have enjoyed in a variety of dishes, or simply steamed at an oyster bar. They are native to the Eastern US coast, especially around New England, and have been exported to the Pacific and European shores as they lend themselves to “aquaculture”. Indeed, in New England they form an important part of the fishing economy and are a major export from the region.

It is thought that only 1 in 5,000 clams produces a pearl but, before a quahog pearl can be considered valuable, it also must possess visual appeal – many quahog pearls are misshapen, or not particularly pretty to look at, which precludes their use in jewellery. This makes those quahog pearls suitable for use in jewelry that much more valuable. Despite the huge commercial farming activity which processes millions of quahog clams every year, pearls are increasingly rare because of the automated nature of the process. Clams are cleaned and shucked mechanically, and this process usually destroys any pearls which may otherwise be uncovered.

Oyster pearls are formed by concretions being formed around internal deformities, parasites or other foreign pieces of matter such as a grain of sand. The oyster reacts to this irritant by enclosing the body with layers of hardened pearl material, known as nacre and which covers the deformity or foreign matter and it is this which grows into a pearl. Cultured pearls use the same process but the oyster is stimulated to grow the pearl by man not nature.

Quahog pearls are formed in a very similar fashion to oyster pearls, though as quahogs are not oysters, quahog pearls are not considered to be pearls themselves. The quahogs which are found along the coast of New England, especially those focused upon Rhode Island, are the only ones which possess the purple tint. This is because the quahog clams there are the only ones which produce the purple dye, and this can cause a quahog pearl to vary from a light lilac color through to deep purple to very deep black. As these quahogs are the only bivalve which secretes the purple stain, their pearls are the only ones to possess this coloration though the degree to which an individual quahog pearl is colored will vary widely.

Quahog pearls have been a sought after gemstone amongst New England jewelry makers for at least a couple of hundred years, but the quahog pearl has a much longer association with man than that. Native American Indians used the quahog pearl both for decorative purposes and as “wampum” or money. Native Americans used the quahog pearl as a medium for exchange by carving the tabular beads and these could be used for trading.

Valuation and pricing vary enormously and ultimately, the price of any item is only that which a buyer is prepared to pay. An example will illustrate the point – in 2005 a rare quahog was discovered in a yard sale and bought for a mere $14 – when it came to auction, the piece was widely valued at anything between $8,000 and $1 million! The eventual sales price is unknown as it was sold to a private bidder in a sealed auction.

Surely the value really lies not in the price tag which is attached to a quahog pearl, but rather the beauty of this natural gemstone and the artisanship of the piece into which it is set. Beauty, in this instance, is clearly in the eye of the beholder.

Go to any jewelry store and peruse their pearl collections and it’s easy to see how many different colors of pearls there are. You can find pearls in white, cream, pink, purple and black with overtones of green, brown and blue. While personal preference is the basis for deciding which color pearl is best for you, it’s important to understand why pearls are the colors they are.

Oysters secrete nacre to cover a nucleus in their tissue - this is what most pearls are made of. The thickness of the nacre is the first thing that determines the color of the pearl. The thicker the nacre, the richer the color of the pearl. The main factor that determines a pearl's color is the type and color of the mollusk that produced it. Different mollusks produced different colors of pearls for a variety of reasons.

Freshwater pearls are found in a wide variety of colors naturally. The colors are produced for many different reasons including environment, type of mussel and the location of the nucleus inserted into the tissue. Manganese is one element found only in freshwater mollusks and causes changes in the pearl’s color. The Manganese will darken freshwater pearls causing a silver-grey effect making a beautiful and unique colored gemstone.

Some pearls’ color, like that of the South Sea pearl, is based on the color of the oyster’s mantle tissue that it came from. The South Sea pearl is produced by the Pinctada maxima mollusk. This mollusk comes in two different types - the gold lip and the silver lip. The silver lip creates white, silver and rose colored pearls while the gold lip produces yellow, gold and champagne colored pearls. The gold colored South Sea pearls are very rare and possibly the most valuable

Tahitian pearls or black South Sea pearls have a rich, dark coloration. Tahitian pearls are produced by the Pinctada margaritifer mollusk. This mollusk is also known as the black lip oyster. The mantle of the black lip oyster is very dark which causes the pearls it produces to be black in color. Not only is the color of the mantle tissue a factor in what color the pearl will be but it also depends on the color of the donor tissue grafted into the oyster. Different donor tissues can cause the pearl to have lavender, green, blue and ‘peacock’ overtones. These pearls are coveted because of their luster and iridescence.

Even though cultured and natural pearls come in a wide variety of colors, pearls are sometimes dyed. A lot of times, freshwater and akoya pearls are dyed dark colors to give them the appearance of a Tahitian or South Sea pearl. The dyes are organic and don’t harm the stone but it is important to be aware of this when shopping for pearls. If the color of a pearl looks too beautiful to be true, it may be! You can spot a dyed pearl by looking down the drill hole with a magnifier. Even the color of Tahitian pearls can be tampered with. Sometimes heat is used to alter their color and achieve a chocolate color which has become very popular in the jewelry world.

There are so many different varieties of pearls out there in the world and it’s sometimes difficult to tell them apart. It starts with the basics; pearls are either freshwater or saltwater, obviously depending on where they are grown and harvested. The various types of pearls get broken down from there. Among the known types of pearls are Tahitian Pearls and Akoya Pearls.  Among the lesser known types of pearls are the South Sea, Cortez and Keshi pearls. They are all different and unique in their own ways.

The South Sea pearl is among the largest in the world with an average size of about 13mm. The actual oysters these pearls are harvested from are also massive in size. They can grow to be 12 inches in diameter and produce pearls anywhere from 9mm to 20mm in size. Unlike akoya oysters which can accept more than one nucleation, the South Sea pearl oyster can only accept one nucleation at a time.

There are a few reasons why South Sea pearls are so large compared to other pearls. The large size of the actual oyster is the first reason for the large pearl size. Because the oyster is so large, it allows for more room for the pearl to develop. Another reason for the large size is the size of the implanted bead. The bead that the oyster is implanted with is much larger than that of other cultured pearls. This large original bead implant causes the oyster to deposit nacre around the nucleus at a much quicker rate than other oysters. Environment is another reason why South Sea pearls get to be so large. They live in very warm, clean water filled with plankton which helps to speed up nacre production.

There are a few characteristics of South Sea pearls that make them so unique. Besides being a generally large stone, they have unusually thick nacre. Typically, an akoya pearl has a nacre of 0.35mm to 0.7mm while a South Sea pearl has nacre ranging from 2-6mm. This makes them very hard and much more durable than other pearls. South Sea pearls also have a unique satiny luster caused by the warm waters of their habitat. South Sea pearls also have a very beautiful array of colors like white, silver and gold that are rare in other pearls.

Another lesser known pearl is the Cortez pearl. One of Mexico's prized gemstones, Cortez pearls come fromt he warm waters of the Gulf of California. Cortez pearls come from two different species of oysters – the “Panamic Black-Lipped Oyster” and the “Rainbow-Lipped Oyster”. These oysters produce very unusual colors and a gorgeous iridescence unique to the Cortez pearl. It takes about 2 years to produce these beautiful pearls, but is definitely worth the wait.

Cortez pearls typically range in size from about 8mm to 14mm and have nacre about 0.8 millimeter to 2.3mm thick. Like the South Sea pearls, Cortez pearls are hard and more durable than their more classic counterparts. A unique feature of the Cortez pearl is its shape. Most Cortez pearls are irregular in shape, or Baroque. Cortez pearls can be round or near-round in shape but this is a very small percentage of any harvest. Color is another reason why these pearls are so loved. They have an intense rainbow-like opulence with colors ranging from cool whites to silver, bronze and black. The black Cortez pearls often have a “peacock” appearance with overtones of green, purple blue and gold.

Another of the lesser known pearls is the Keshi pearl. These pearls can be either freshwater or saltwater which is a rare characteristic. The way that Keshi pearls are created is an interesting process. When an oyster rejects and implanted nucleaus before the culturing process begins, a Keshi pearl is created. The pearl sacs eventually create a pearl without a nucleus. There is no nucleus to guide the growth and development of the Keshi pearl, so they are usually small and irregular in shape.

Keshi pearls, because of their origin, are 100% nacre. This causes the pearls to have a very high luster and come in a wide variety of colors. Many times, a Keshi pearl has a greater luster than the highest quality cultured pearls. When pearl farming began, Keshi pearls were abundant and created very unique pieces of jewelry. Today, Keshi pearls are much rarer because many pearl farms x-ray their oysters to determine if an oyster has rejected its implanted nucleus. One of the wonderful things about Keshi pearls however is their unpredictable shape. This irregular shape paired with a wide variety of colors from white to ivory, gold and black allows jewelers to create some truly unique pieces of jewelry.

For hundreds of years, China and Japan have been the leader in the saltwater and Akoya pearl market. In the earliest days of pearl harvesting, it was difficult to find pearls that was both high in quality and had a perfectly round shape. Mikimoto was the man to develop and produce high quality, round cultured pearls in Japan and changed the pearl market forever.

Mikimoto began his first pearl oyster farm in 1888 where he began to develop his method for creating round, high quality cultured pearls. After working with the pearls, Mikimoto began distributing these cultured pearls in 1897 and continued perfecting his methods. During these years, Mikimoto ran into some competition from some other biologists developing their own pearl techniques. Mikimoto and other scientists used similar techniques - they would insert a piece of mantle tissue into the oyster, causing a pearl to form. After some fights and adaptations to patents, Mikimoto made arrangements with another biologist in 1916 and was able to really develop his business.

Mikimoto spent many years developing his cultured pearl techniques and it paid off. Mikimoto began culturing classic white Akoya pearls and was successful. He was however always intrigued by black and silver pearls and wanted to culture those as well. He began culturing Black South Sea Pearls in 1914 and his efforts eventually became a success in 1931. It was in this year he cultured a giant 10mm black South Sea pearl. After having so much success culturing pearls, Mikimoto said “I want to adorn the necks of all the women of the world with pearls.” His dream was an eventual success with women worldwide recognizing Mikimoto’s name and wearing his pearls everywhere.

This new technology for developing cultured pearls really helped Japan’s business take off. By 1935, Japan had over 350 pearl farms producing high quality cultured pearls by the millions. Eventually, the uprising slowed and Japan was left with an oversupply of pearls. Mikimoto began to promote his pearls overseas in the United States and Europe. He opened up stylish boutiques in Paris, London, New York, Chicago and many other cities making his brand one of the first Japanese brands to have international recognition.

Because Mikimoto’s pearls were cultured and not “natural” he ran in to a lot of criticism. He was constantly defending his product stating that his pearls were only of the highest quality. At one time, he even went as far as to publicly burn thousands of low quality pearls to prove that he sold only high quality cultured pearls. To further establish his reputation, he also took his pearls to the 1926 Philadelphia World Exposition where he displayed a replica of the liberty bell covered in pearls.

Even though Mikimoto died in 1954 his name and his brand live on today. Mikimoto was the official jeweler of the 2003-2008 Miss USA pageant, the 2002-2007 Miss Universe pageant and the 2001-2008 Miss Teen USA pageant. He was also posthumously awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. Today, his pearl necklaces and other jewelry are still sought after and extremely valuable.

The earliest mention of pearls comes over 4,000 years ago in Chinese history books. There is no official date of when the first pearl was taken from a shell but they are mentioned in nearly every culture’s history. Because this is one of the oldest gemstones known to man, it comes as no surprise that some pearls have managed to stand above the rest and make their own footprint in the history books. Some of these famous pearls are known because of their size, who wore them or who discovered them. All of the pearls remembered in history have something unique that gives them legendary status.

One of the first famous pearls is the Abernathy Pearl. It was found in 1967 in the River Tay in Scotland by Bill Abernathy. Abernathy was a professional pearl diver and was in the river doing just that. The River Tay is known for very odd shaped mussels which can create very beautiful pearls. The people of Scotland scoured their rivers for centuries trying to find pearls. Many freshwater pearls were found but none quite like the Abernathy Pearl. The pearl that Bill Abernathy pulled out of the river was 44 grains or about 14 carats. A natural freshwater pearl of this size is an extremely rare find.

Another pearl that history notes is Big Pink Pearl. This pearl was found by a diver in California’s Salt Point State Park. The Guiness Book of World Records lists this pearl as the largest natural abalone pearl ever found. Abalone pearls are often considered some of the most beautiful pearls in the world. They are very asymmetrical and have an intense luster with a multitude of colors. The Big Pink Pearl weighs an amazing 470 carats and is valued at $.7 million dollars in 1991.

Perhaps one of the most famous freshwater pearls is the Hope Pearl. It is the largest saltwater pearl ever discovered weighing in at 450 carats. The Hope Pearl is a white drop-shaped pearl measuring an astonishing 2 inches by 4 inches. This pearl is named for Henry Philip Hope who acquired this pearl sometime in the 19^th century. He also at one time owned the magnificent Hope Diamond. The Hope Pearl is housed and displayed at the British Museum of Natural History.

A pearl found off the coast of Panama in the 16^th century makes its own mark in history. Known as La Peregrina or “The Pilgrim” this pearl was at one time, one of the most celebrated gemstones. Weighing about 65 carats, La Peregrina was known not only for its size but its gorgeous white coloring and near perfect and unique pear shape. After the gem was discovered it was taken directly to King Phillip II who gave it to his bride, Queen Mary of Spain, as a wedding gift. The pearl was passed down through royalty until Richard Burton bought it for Elizabeth Taylor in 1969. Taylor, who is a known pearl lover and one who actively popularized Tahitian pearls, owns La Peregrina still today.

A pearl earrings is something that some women love and jewelry created with pearls  always have a sure exclusiveness to its composition. By pearl earrings, you’ll be necessary to make a pair of things to keep on it appearing wonderfully as well as clear. Separately from certain caring of way that you should to do to remain it off from vanishing their glow, here are several definite things you must avoid to keep it in well status, as well.

The common care and safety

Pearl jewelries are available in several dissimilar characters but are mostly created from the equal structure. Then, the things you should avoid for one kind of treasure is the equal point that you ought to stay away from like the others.

As a pearl is an organic gem,  here are definite matter that will take out a little of its natural glimmer also together with the stuff that are able to destroy a pearl’s normal attraction are acids and  alcohol.

If you wish to look good and smell good as wearing your attractive pearl jewelry, you had better to get out of touching your pearls with  cologne and hairspray as this stuff has negative chemical factors that could influede your pearl jewels of its spotless sparkle.

Sweat may also strike pearls and as your pearls are affected from any of these substances, you must be better carefully wipe them away. You could use a moistured napkin or you can rinse your pearls in balmy soapy water to avoid of every substances that might sooner or later beat the astonishing thing of your pearl rings.

Store your Pearls Away from These Stuff

Some other factor you should do on taking care your pearl jewelry is to keep on caring from heats and from straight rays. Other substances that ought to be avoided are  detergents, fruit juices and vinegar. These material will certainly decline your pearl necklaces. Therefore, you had better to keep your pearls away from these substance.

A rings box Is also Important

Taking care is a must, as well. Therefore, a jewelry box is very effective. While you save your pearl bracelets, be sure that your pearls are saved in a place or a box completely on its own to keep off being scratched by other pieces of other jewelries. Even though pearls are hard, there is still an indication that they can get scratched and saving them in their specific box will remain them safe. 

Having and dressed in pearl jewelry is a symbol of self-respect. Several pearl owners know how to carry on them clean and safe from worsening and damaging. These are various of the  things that all pearl necklaces owner ought to understand.

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.

When you think of pearls, most often the picture that comes to mind is a tropical island with warm seas and a light breeze where the oysters would love to take refuge. There are many different types of pearls out there on the market, but the Akoya pearl is probably the most recognizable. The Akoya parls is a high luster white pearl that is used mostly for long strands.

The Akoya pearl does not come from the tropical island setting you might think of. It is cultured and farmed mainly in China and Japan. They get their name because they are nucleated in the Akoya oyster which is found off the shores of China and Japan. Akoya pearls tend to be fairly small because the Akoya oyster is small in comparison to other types of oysters. The pearls created by the Akoya oyster are typically white or cream, sometimes with overtones of rose or silver.

A benefit of smaller pearls is that they tend to be the most consistently round in shape. This makes them the perfect option for jewelers to match up to create long, beautiful strands of pearls. When shopping for pearl jewelry, if you come across a long pearl necklace or bracelet, you are most likely looking at Akoya pearls. This type of pearl is popular for its high luster, smooth, round shape, and affordability. Their white and rose color makes this type of pearl the perfect choice for someone with a fair complexion as the color will bring out subtle tones in the skin.

Because Akoya pearls are cultured and farmed in large batches, they tend to be quite affordable. China and Japan also have a competing market for these pearls which helps to keep the cost down. China has, in recent years, really taken a hold of the Akoya pearl market, creating pearls that rival the legendary quality that Japan calls its own. Because of this response from China, Japan has focused most of its attention on creating large Akoya pearls (over 8mm). Pearls larger than this in China are rare, so Japan has taken this opportunity to corner the market.

So, with all of this information, what should you look for when out shopping for pearl jewelry? It is very important to ask the jeweler a lot of questions about the pearls to ensure you are getting exactly what you want. It would behoove you to find out the origin of the pearl. Many times, freshwater pearls will be sold as cultured pearls and it’s important to know the difference. Freshwater pearls and Akoya pearls are both cultured, but in different ways. The Akoya pearl is cultured in saltwater, which gives them a very different appearance and are much more valuable than freshwater pearls.

The next piece of advice is to take the time to really inspect the pearls on a particular piece you are interested in. If you are looking at a strand of Akoya pearls, make sure it has a very high luster. Also, look to see if all of the pearls on the strand seem to match in shape and size. Next, look at the color of the pearls on the strand to make sure they all look similar. While inspecting the color, look for any blemishes to the pearls as this could decrease the value of the jewelry. The final thing to put on your pearl checklist is its overall appearance. Try on the bracelet or necklace in a mirror and see how it looks against your skin tone. If it looks good and you love it, then most likely you have found the perfect piece of pearl jewelry to take home!

When you think of pearls, most often the picture that comes to mind is a tropical island with warm seas and a light breeze where the oysters would love to take refuge. There are many different types of pearls out there on the market, but the Akoya pearl is probably the most recognizable. The Akoya pearl is the classic, high luster, white pearl used mostly for long strands of jewelry.

The Akoya pearl does not come from the tropical island setting you might think of. It is cultured and farmed mainly in China and Japan. They get their name because they are nucleated in the Akoya oyster which is found off the shores of China and Japan. Akoya pearls tend to be fairly small because the Akoya oyster is small in comparison to other types of oysters. The pearls created by the Akoya oyster are typically white or cream, sometimes with overtones of rose or silver.

A benefit of smaller pearls is that they tend to be the most consistently round in shape. Because of this, they are perfect for jewlers to match them up to create long strands of pearls. When shopping for pearl jewelry, if you come across a long pearl necklace or bracelet, you are most likely looking at Akoya pearls. This type of pearl is coveted for its high luster, smooth, round shape and affordability. Their white and rose color makes this type of pearl the perfect choice for someone with a fair complexion as the color will bring out subtle tones in the skin.

Because Akoya pearls are cultured and farmed in large batches, they tend to be quite affordable. China and Japan also have a competing market for these pearls which helps to keep the cost down. China has, in recent years, really taken a hold of the Akoya pearl market, creating pearls that rival the legendary quality that Japan calls its own. Because of this response from China, Japan has focused most of its attention on creating large Akoya pearls (over 8mm). It is rare to find pearls larger than this in China, so Japan has taken this opportunity to corner the market.

So, with all of this information, what should you look for when out shopping for pearl jewelry? It is very important to ask the jeweler a lot of questions about the pearls to ensure you are getting exactly what you want. It would behoove you to find out the origin of the pearl. Many times, freshwater pearls will be sold as cultured pearls and it’s important to know the difference. Akoya pearls and freshwater pearls are cultured, but inn different ways. The Akoya pearl is cultured in saltwater, which gives them a very different appearance and are much more valuable than freshwater pearls.

The next piece of advice is to take the time to really inspect the pearls on a particular piece you are interested in. If you are looking at a strand of Akoya pearls, make sure it has a very high luster. Also, look to see if all of the pearls on the strand seem to match in shape and size. Next, look at the color of the pearls on the strand to make sure they all look similar. While you're inspecting the color of the pearl, keep an eye out for blemishes that could decrease the value of the jewelry. The final thing to put on your pearl checklist is its overall appearance. Try on the necklace or bracelet and look at it against your skin tone and how it looks on you in a mirror. If you love it, you've probably found the perfect piece of pearl jewelry!