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Selecting Fine Pearls



Pearls are an enduring classic of romantic beauty and sophistication suitable for almost any occasion or celebration. Pearls can adorn formal evening wear, a business dress, or can be worn casually with a blouse and blue jeans. This official birthstone of the month of June is an ideal and popular choice for brides to wear as their wedding day jewelry.

Once rare and expensive, new technology and advances have made modern cultured pearls into an affordable luxury. There are six key factors that contribute to the value of a pearl: luster, nacre thickness, shape, surface texture, size, and color.

Luster - the Essence of Pearl Beauty
Pearls owe their unique beauty to the play of light reflecting through layers of fine crystalline nacre gradually deposited by the forming oyster. Nearly transparent nacre gives the deepest luster and the highest reflection. A high-quality pearl will have a brilliant and even reflection, with a fine warm glow or radiance. Lower quality pearls will have a dull sheen.

Cultured Pearl Color and Overtones
The dominant color of a pearl comes from the main reflection off the pearl surface. The deeper reflected light draws the inner color from the pearl, called the overtone.

Light colored pearls are available in shades of white, cream, and golden. White with pink or silver overtones are generally the most valuable. The most desirable dark colored pearls are black with green or blue overtones. Color matching is also important when buying pearl jewelry. Perfectly matched pearls in color and size are more valuable than poorly matched pearls.

Pearl Shape and Surface Texture

The highest quality pearls are perfectly round with smooth surface, very few surface imperfections, and an even coloration. Lower quality pearls may be nearly round, or show more surface imperfections, such as wrinkles or large pits on the surface.

Types of Cultured Pearls
There are four types of pearls:
1. Classic Akoya Pearls
2. Exotic Black Tahitian Pearls
3. Golden or White South Sea Pearls
4. Decorative Freshwater Pearls

Pearl Quality Grades
Pearls usually have four grades: A, AA, AAA, and AAA+ quality. AAA and AAA+ quality are the highest quality.

AAA and AAA+ quality pearls are the most desired pearls for gifts. They have high luster and very clean surface skins.

AA quality pearls have medium luster and slight to medium surface imperfection. They are ideal gifts for someone who will be happy to own a piece of fine pearl jewelry.

A quality pearls have low luster and medium to heavy blemishes. They are not popular for gifts due to their low quality.

Article By: PremiumPearl.com

 

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