Tips to get the perfect pearls
Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
For thousands of years pearls have been worn by the rich, and given to loved ones as extravagant gifts. Traditionally worn by brides, for thousands of years they have been a symbol of love, purity and perfection. Nowadays pearl jewellery is available to more people than ever before, and you no longer need to be royalty to afford it. Pearls of all shapes, sizes and colours are grown on farms and with so many varieties to choose from any bride-to-be has no trouble finding the perfect pearls to match her wedding gown. In fact, there are so many different types of pearl that it’s not easy to know which to choose, so here are a few things to look out for:
Pearl type – The two types of pearl are saltwater and freshwater. Saltwater pearls are farmed in the sea, and are usually larger and more regular in shape than the freshwater variety. They are also usually more expensive because of this. Freshwater pearls are farmed in lakes and rivers, usually smaller and often less regular in shape, though they come in a large range of different colours.
Size – When buying pearls, size really does matter. The bigger the pearl, the more expensive it will be. Saltwater pearls are usually the bigger variety, and are more highly sought after.
Nacre – Pearls take years to form inside the shell of an oyster. When an irritant gets into the shell the oyster produces nacre, which builds up in layers forming the pearl. The thicker the nacre coating, the more durable the pearl will be as jewellery. Some cultured saltwater pearls are ‘beaded’ with a larger nucleus which speeds up the process and ensure a round shape. Most freshwater pearls and all natural pearls are formed entirely of nacre, which is why their shape is often less regular.
Luster – No pearl is perfectly shiny like glass but they do have a certain reflective sheen to them, called the lustre. Pearls with this shimmery surface are the most popular type.
Colour – Pearls in their natural state come in various shades of white, pink and lilac although you can now get cultured pearls dyed in almost any colour. A pearl necklace made of matching naturally-coloured pearls will cost more than dyed ones, as it can take a long time to collect enough matching pearls for a whole string.
Shape – When we think of the ideal pearls, we normally imagine that they are all perfectly round and shiny. In reality this is rare, and these round pearls are very expensive as they are highly in demand. Small cultured pearls tend to be more rounded and some of the larger ones have been formed around a bead to help the shape develop. Irregularly shaped pearls are still used to make unique jewellery and pendants.
Matching – It can be hard to find enough pearls of the same size, shape and colour to make a whole necklace, so a string of regular naturally coloured pearls is more desirable and will be more expensive.
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