Pearl Buying Guide

Buying pearls is just as complicated as buying a diamond. There are colors, shapes, sizes, quality levels, and good matches to worry about, not to mention the different lengths of necklaces.

The Nature of Pearls

Pearls are unique among the gemstones in that they are farmed in addition to occurring naturally.

• Natural pearls are accidents of nature in free-living saltwater oysters. They are rare, difficult to match, and extremely expensive.
• Cultured pearls are pearls cultivated by inserting a nucleus into a mollusc living in either freshwater or saltwater. Modern farming techniques have made it relatively easy to get many pearls of similar size and color for use in jewelry.
• Saltwater pearls are any pearls, cultured or natural, from saltwater oysters.
• Freshwater pearls are any pearls from freshwater molluscs.
• Imitation (faux, false, simulated, etc.) pearls are made of glass or even plastic; they go by a number of names including "Mallorca," "Red Sea," or "Laguna pearls."
• Nacre is another name for mother of pearl, the compound secreted by the oyster that forms the pearl.

Types of Pearls

Akoya pearls  are cultured saltwater pearls from the akoya oyster. Tend to be on the smaller side (2-11 mm) and round. Colorwise they are usually white or cream with rose or gold overtones. The akoya oyster can only grow one or two pearls at a time and dies when the pearls are harvested, making Akoya pearls some of the most expensive available. Large Akoya pearls are especially rare and valuable.	Black Tahitian pearls  are large, dark pearls grown in French Polynesia. Their popularity has increased with their availability in the last 50 years. They are rarely truly black; they are usually charcoal grey or silvery grey.	South Sea pearls  are large pearls cultivated in the warm South Sea between northern Australia and southern China. Come from a very large oyster and are thus very large compared to Akoyas. Available in a wide variety of colors: white, cream, gold, silver, and several other shades. Their size is extremely striking since they average a 9 mm diameter.	Freshwater pearls  are any pearls, cultured or natural, from freshwater dwelling molluscs. Freshwater pearls are generally much less expensive than saltwater pearls because they are easier to grow. Wide variety of colors and shapes.

Pearl Shapes

Round  and Near-Round	Oval	Button	Drop  (Teardrop )

Mabe  pearls have a flat back.	Keshi  pearls are small but entirely made of nacre.	Baroque  refers to any pearl that isn't symmetrical.

Pearl Price and Quality

The price of a pearl increases sharply as the pearl gets larger, but size is by no means the only factor. Unlike the catchy "4 C's" principle with diamonds, there's no easy way to remember everything that goes into making a great pearl. NLC-Triple S might not be catchy, but here's what it means.

• Nacre is the compound also known as mother of pearl. Cultured freshwater pearls are solid nacre, while only natural saltwater pearls are entirely nacre. Cultured saltwater pearls have a nucleus and then many layers of nacre; the number of layers and the thickness of those layers are what influence the quality of the pearl. Solid nacre is not necessarily better; freshwater pearls are still inexpensive despite being solid nacre since they are easy to cultivate en masse and are often baroque instead of round.

• Luster: Diamonds may sparkle, but pearls glow. This soft, satiny sheen is luster, and it is a major factor in determining a pearl's worth. Saltwater pearls tend to shine more than freshwater pearls. The longer a pearl remains in the oyster, the more lustrous it will be. A dull, chalky appearance is to be avoided.

• Color: Pearls come in a wide variety of colors, from bright white toblack and everything in between. As with size, the color of a single pearl is not a major determinant of its value; what is more important is that pearls on a piece of jewelry all have a uniform appearance. Watch out for pearls that have been artificially colored; they will not look as nice as their natural counterparts. Color terms you should know include:
• Bodycolor: The main color of the pearl. (White, pink, black, etc.)
• Overtones: Washes of color that augment the bodycolor. For example, a pearl may be white with gold or rose overtones.
• Orient: The iridescence oft he pearl. This is influenced by the number and thickness of the layers of nacre; a large number of very thin layers will produce the loveliest pearls.

• Surface: Since pearls are formed by a biological process, they have a great deal of variability. Unlike a diamond, which is rate on its inclusions, a pearl is rated for the smoothness of its surface. The more blemish-free the outside of the pearl, the more valuable it is. Small blemishes, such as a spot or bubble, are not as serious as structural faults like chips or cracks.

• Shape: Shape is not as important asother characteristics, although round or near-round pearls are generally the most desirable. Shape matching is more important.

• Size: Pearl price and value goes up almost exponentially with the size of the pearl. All other factors being equal, a very large pearl will cost far more than a small pearl.

Pearls can also be graded on one of two scales. It is important to know which scale you are using before making a decision, since an A means different things in each system. To read more about the details and how grades are assigned, check out Pearl-Guide.com.

• AAA System
• In this system, the best pearls are AAA and are nearly perfect.
• AA pearls are fairly good but may have some small flaws.
• A-grade pearls are not as valuable and have significant flaws.
• This system is usually used only for akoya and freshwater pearls, but it can also beused with South Seaand Tahitian pearls.
• Be wary! Dishonest jewelers may try to use designations like AAAA or AAA+ to convince you to buy more expensive pearls; these are considered non-standard. (A+ and AA+ are acceptable designations of pearls between levels of quality.)
• A-D System
• In this scale, A is the highest quality you can get; D is the minimum acceptable for use in jewelry.
• This scale is almost always used with South Sea and Tahitian pearls.

Wearing Pearls

After nearly 5000 years of popularity, pearls are still growing strong. Modern culture techniques have made them affordable to more than just royalty. A matched set of pearl earrings, necklace and bracelet are considered the quintessentially ladylike jewelry, but there are a number of other customs associtated with pearls.

Bridal Jewelry With their connotations of purity and innocence, pearls have long been a popular choice for brides.	June Birthstone Pearls are the traditional birthstone for June. A pearl drop necklace  is a great birthday present for your favorite June baby!	Add-a-Pearl Necklace Start  with just a few pearls and add a pair  every birthday or on special occasions. By the time she's a teenager, she'll have a beautiful necklace.	Anniversary Gifts Pearls are the "modern" twelfth and "traditional" thirtieth anniversary gift. Pearl jewelry is great for her, but why not get them mother-of-pearl caviar service  that they can share?

Pearls have been popular for so long that pearl strands of different lengths have different names and degrees of formality.

Collars and Chokers Collars  and chokers  are short strands of 12-16" that fit close to or around the neck. (Chokers are, oddly, slightly longer than collars.) Bib necklaces  fit like a collar but may have longer strands or drops as well.	Princess Princess  is the most popular length; falls about to the middle of the sternum. An everyday length, great with a variety of necklines. 17-19" long.	Matinee Matinee pearls  are a semi-formal length, falling to the top of the bust. This length is extremely versatile and looks good with suits. 20-24" long.	Opera and Rope Formal opera-length strands  are 30-36" and fall below the bust. A pearl rope  is even longer, at more than 36". Both may be doubled to form a shorter necklace.

Other Kinds of "Pearls"

There are many species of molluscs that make pearl-like deposits. These are not considered true pearls because of difference in composition or mineral content. Nevertheless they can be very beautiful and valuable. The pearls to the left are conch pearls.  Impossible to farm, all conch pearls are found in nature. They aren't true pearls since they contain no nacre, but their striking colors (frequently pink or orange) and unique shapes make them an interesting choice in jewelry. Other rare types of pearls are melo melo, abalone and scallop. All are extremely rare. Melo melo pearls  tend to be large and deep gold. Abalone pearls  come in a range of colors similar to what you might see in an abalone shell. Scallop pearls,  the rarest of all, are often a deep pink or plum shade but can also be silvery grey or white.

Caring for Pearls

Pearls are extremely soft for a gemstone; calcium carbonate, the primary inorganic compound in nacre, only rates a 3 on the Mohs hardness scale. Pearls are also porous, due to their protein-mineral matrix. Because of this, they need to be cared for carefully to keep them in good condition.

• Wipe down your pearls with a soft cloth after each wearing.
• Wash your pearls only with mild soap and water. Never use harsh chemicals, abrasives, or an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner.
• If you wear your pearls often, take them to be restrung each year. (Less frequent wear requires stringing every two or three years.) Make sure there is a knot on each side of each pearl so that if the strand breaks you will not lose all your pearls. The jeweler should use silk or nylon thread.
• Store your pearls away from other jewelry. Metal and stones can scratch and mar your pearls. Wrap them in a soft cloth and keep them in a protected case.
• If you have jewelry made from conch, melo melo, or abalone pearls, keep them away from sunlight. They have been known to lose their colors when exposed to the sun, so only wear them at night.
• Pearl rings can be a beautiful way to show off a unique pearl, but be very careful when wearing a pearl ring as they can be damaged easily. The same goes for a pearl bracelet -- be careful not to bang it on any surfaces. Pearls are much safer when they are around your neck or attached to your ears.

External Links

• Pearl-Guide.com: A veritable pearl encyclopedia.
• Zales.com: Good information about buying and caring for pearls.
• Wikipedia: The natural history and cultural importance of pearls.
• AmericanPearlGuide.com: Click through their catalog to see the great variety of shapes and colors you might find on the market; they also have some abalone and conch pearls available.
• MeloPearls.com: A lovely assortment of (what else?) melo pearls.